There Are Plenty of Fish in the Sea
by The Scarlet Sky
Summary: When new farmgirl Harley gets desperate for love, she winds up with unexpected results that are a bit...fishy. Starring Harley, Ray the hobo, and a devious Jamie. A Magical Melody fanfic, rated T just to be safe. Oh fish, it's COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1: Baited

Disclaimer: All characters are from the game Harvest Moon: Magical Melody by Natsume and are not by any means created or owned by me. (I'm just a crazy game-addict!)

**Chapter One: Baited**

When I moved to Flower Bud Village, I didn't even think about marriage. I was just a struggling city girl looking for a fresh new start as a farmer. But marriage was all anyone talked about, really. Ann, Ellen, Gwen: They all liked someone. So when Ellen asked me, "Who are you crushing on, Harley?" I was silent. That's when I got worried.

'What if no one ever likes me? What if I end up an old maid in this small village? What if everyone's taken, like Blue and Carl and Bob?' So I did what any desperate girl would do—flirt my pigtails off!

That's how Dan and I started dating. Sure, the guy was a bit proud, but he was an easy-going cutie from the south! Give a girl a break! Too bad for me, Dan was an avid gambler, and I was running out of cash faster than you can say "Desperate Farmgirl." Little did I know about his other problem: girls. As in more than one girl. It's a bit of a surprise when you walk into the Moonlight Café to see your boyfriend hitting it off with the gorgeous barmaid.

"Dan!" I cried in shock. He spun around quickly and faced me with a prize-winning smile.

"Hey, Harley! Eve was just giving me a Soda recipe. Right, baby?" he added to a giggling Eve. I willed myself not to cry.

"Oh, I get what you're doing all right," I replied through the impending sobs as I snatched up Hank's Veggie Juice and poured it on the handsome moron. Eve gasped and started to clean him off with a napkin. "And I hope that stains!" I shouted as I slammed the door. Now that I was alone, the tears started to flow down my cheeks.

"And the Full Moon Festival's tomorrow," I muttered. "Just perfect. Now I'm dateless again." Lifelessly, I pulled out my fishing pole and headed to Sunny Lake. Fishing calms the nerves sometimes. And that's where I met him. Ray.

The angler had perfect form as he landed a pretty sweet Amago. His hair was longer than most of the village men's and as brown as my own. His eyes weren't as fiery as Dan's but were gentle and shy. All in all, he was decently cute.

"42 centimeters," he breathed in satisfaction. "That's an Amago record." He turned in surprise to see me clapping. "You were watching?" he asked incredulously.

"Heck, yeah!" I exclaimed. "What are you, a fishing legend?" He looked uncomfortable.

"Nah, I'm just Ray. You?"

"Harley," I replied, "the new farmgirl. I live by Duck Bridge. There's good fishing there," I added.

"Then I'll definitely visit," he said with a smile. He glanced at my rod. "You fish?"

I laughed.

"Who doesn't fish?"


	2. Chapter 2: Hooked

Note: This is my first fan-fic, and I'd appreciate it if you R&R. Thanks:3

**Chapter Two: Hooked**

I woke up the next morning to be greeted by a nervous Ray.

"Um, Harley, I was wondering if you'd mind coming to the Full Moon Festival today with me," he muttered shyly. It was strange seeing him without his rod.

"Sure, sounds like fun," I agreed with a grin. He was no Dan, but I was okay with that. Dan was a moron, after all. As I fed my animals, I thought about Ray and I. Maybe I could learn to like Ray. (He certainly didn't have gambling problems.) Tonight, I figured I'd learn what went on in that cute head of his.

At Starry Hill, Ray and I gazed at the brightest moon of the year. The crickets chirped peacefully and the breeze was blowing lightly.

"It's so beautiful," I sighed.

"Like fish jumping in the river," Ray agreed(?). The romance was kinda spoiled by the fish comment, but I brushed it off. So the guy liked fish. No big deal, right?

Ray's hand squeezed mine gently, and I knew we were leaving.

"See you later then, Harley?" he asked a little piteously.

"Okay," I answered with a grin.

I left thinking I was the luckiest girl in the world. It wasn't too long before reality set in, though. Each day, Ray would chat with me about fish. Fish and only fish. I convinced myself it would take some time to discern Ray's other interests, because no one could only talk about fish. Well, "some" time passed and I got nothing. Absolutely NOTHING. Ray was a walking, talking, fish encyclopedia. Every other word he said was "fish"! But I hung on to my fishing line. No way was I giving up. Finally, a guy had taken my bait, and I sure as heck wasn't going to let go of him. Not when the last fish had run away from me so quickly. Besides, Ray was at 8 hearts. Not too shabby for a woman with pigtails! Pretty soon, the Mayor showed up at my front door with the latest in blue-feathers.

Okay, this is how marriage works in Flower Bud. You woo a future spouse, snatch a blue-feather, and propose. But no, you can't just go to the nearest craft shop and purchase a bag of feathers. If it were that easy, the marriage rate here would have sky-rocketed considerably. You have to climb the big scary mountain to get the feather. And I'm afraid of heights. Love hurts.

After stretching out all of my muscles while avoiding rocks, wind, and glancing down (gulp!), I reached the summit. There, the single elegant blue-feather lay before me. While I fingered its perfect form, I got frightened. That feather was the only thing standing between me being single or "Mrs. Fish Fanatic." I ran home and stashed the feather in my tool box. From then on, I decided to avoid Ray.

"There are plenty of fish in the sea," I reminded myself. So I was going guy-hunting. Easy, right? Wrong. Every time I winked at Alex, Gina would frown and rush him away; when I flipped my hair at Joe, Katie "accidentally" dumped pudding on my head; when I cooked a meal for Bob (I was that desperate) Gwen personally outdid me by serving him seven platters of Perch Inn food for free. Oh yeah, the women in Flower Bud are guy-protective. So, either I became worst enemies with another woman, became an old maid, or pulled out the feather. I finally succumbed to the latter.

When I proposed, Ray was ecstatic. He must have said "yes" and "fish" 50 times. But I was far from excited. I felt as if I'd been chained to an invisible bond. 'Oh my gosh,' my mind screamed, 'what have I done?' But there was no turning back now. Tomorrow, I was walking down the aisle.


	3. Chapter 3: Sunk

Note: Thanks for the reviews! Please enjoy Ch. 3.

**Chapter Three: Sunk**

"You are sooo lucky," Ann sighed, adjusting my veil. "Blue hasn't even gotten a blue-feather yet to propose to me with. Maybe I should propose, like you did, Harley!"

"Yeah, not many girls have that kind of courage," Gwen agreed. "I'm totally going to be the one to propose when I get married."

"Then why are you and Bob still single?" Ellen giggled. Gwen blushed at that comment and tried concentrating on arranging my bouquet.

"We-we're not that serious yet! Besides, Ellen, you and Carl haven't tied the knot either."

I laughed along with them nervously. My conscience nagged at me, diverting my attention from my bridesmaids' light-hearted teasing. Why was I so desperate that I'd marry the first willing guy? Would my house forever smell of rotting fish? Would I ever eat anything besides fish again? Was I ruining my life? My heart was beating a mile a minute, and a little voice in my head kept whispering, over and over, "Fisssh…fisssh...FISSSH!"

"Harley, do you want—"

"NO!" I screamed. "No more, no more, please! Please, no more fish!"

Ann gave me a blank stare.

"Um…Harley? I was asking if you wanted blue roses in your pigtails."

Oops.

I smoothed my white cotton dress and chuckled awkwardly. "Ha-ha, sorry. Sure, why not?" Sure, why not? Why not commit to being with a fish-obsessed maniac for the rest of my life?

"You look so pale, Harley," Ellen said in concern. "Should I get Alex…?"

"She's probably just anxious about marrying the love of her life, right, Ann?" Gwen interrupted with a wink. I snorted. Ray was _hardly_ the love of my life.

"We're all jealous of you," Ann admitted with a sigh. "Who knew you'd be the first to get married? And to Ray, no less. A shy guy like him—I'm glad he's getting together with someone as outgoing as you."

Me? Outgoing? I smiled at the unexpected compliment.

"Hey, hey!" We all turned to see Nina bounding in, our cheerful flower-girl.

"It's almost time!" she shouted excitedly. "Quick, everyone in your places!"

The bouquet was shoved into my arms and my veil hastily adjusted on my head. Ellen was whispering last-minute words of advice and Ann and Gwen were muttering "Left, right, left, right," under their breath to stay in sync. Sweat appeared on my brow as the wedding march began.

"It's too late to turn back now," I whispered as Jamie took my arm. Since my relatives and Ray's were unavailable, it was decided that Jamie (since he was a farmer like myself) should walk me down the aisle. We began to take the first few steps.

"Don't panic, don't panic," I muttered to myself. Jamie turned to me with a smirk.

"You really are desperate, aren't you?" he spoke quietly to me.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I answered just as softly.

"It's easy to lie to me, isn't it? But it must be much harder to lie to yourself," Jamie mocked me. "Anyone can see you don't love him."

"Shut up!" I shouted. Apparently I was a little too loud, because the music broke off at my outburst. People whispered to each other in puzzlement as Jamie and I exchanged embarrassed glances. I placed a fakey smile on my face as we approached the balcony. With a slight mock bow to Ray and the Mayor, Jamie joined the crowd.

After some moments of confusion, the music started up again, and a worried Ray whispered to me, "Did something happen?"

"No, everything's fine," I lied.

His honest blue eyes looked at me imploringly, and then his expression relaxed.

"You look beautiful," he said sincerely, his cheeks blushing.

The mayor clapped his hands to order, and the villagers were silenced.

"We are here today," the Mayor began, "to bind these two young people in matrimony. Does anyone object to this marriage?"

I caught an amused look from Jamie and tried to ignore it.

"Good. Do you, Ray, take Harley of Flower Bud Village to be your wife, for better or worse? In sickness and in health? For rich and for poor?"

"I do," was his immediate response. It was my turn. My lips turned dry as the Mayor repeated what he had just said to Ray. 'Everything is happening so fast!' I thought frantically.

"Harley?" the Mayor urged me gently.

"I—I—" I took a deep breath and stared at Ray's open and honest face.

"Yes. Yes, I do."

The deed was done. I was now, legally, "Mrs. Fish Fanatic."


	4. Chapter 4: Reeled In

Note: Ah, the story is almost over! After this, there will be only one chapter. (Short, isn't it?) This is personally my favorite chapter. Dunno why… Anyway, I just want to thank all my reviewers (you guys are awesome!) and my friend, whose complaints about having Ray as her highest rating guy in MM inspired me to write this story.

**Chapter Four: Reeled In**

I wasn't really a housewife; I guess I was more like a fishwife. My mornings now consisted of me whipping up some Sashimi for Ray, watering and harvesting the plants, raising the animals, and then fishing all afternoon with my husband (who fished all day). He was no help at all. I was the only one supporting the family and it ticked me off. Women should definitely help with the income, but this was completely one-sided.

I walked inside the house one summer morning, sweaty from the day's work. Ray leaned back in his chair with a satisfied sigh. His plate was empty save for a few crumbs.

"You make the best R. Trout Sashimi in the world, honey," Ray said to me happily.

"Try Ellen's," I muttered as I opened the fridge for some Very Berry Juice.

Ray laughed.

"Well, I like yours so much already. Say, do you want to go fishing down at Sunny Lake later today? It's a beautiful day—"

"No. And I'd like it if you never said that word again," I answered stiffly.

"What word? Beautiful?" he asked in confusion.

"Fish."

Ray looked as if I'd stabbed his heart.

"Harley, are you feeling okay?" he asked me with genuine concern.

"I'm fine," I replied, taking a sip of juice. "I'm just tired of fish. How about…we go to Moonlight Café tonight instead? I don't have to cook, and there's great food."

Ray shuffled his feet uncomfortably.

"Well, Harley, that sounds fine, but I think we should at least talk—"

"No time," I cut in swiftly. "I've got to drop off some of my eggs at Carl's then pick up some seeds from Liz's shop." And with that, I was out the door.

The dinner went on that night as planned. Ray and I were seated at the counter.

"I'll have a Veggie Salad, Duke," I requested the bartender. Ray grinned as he munched on his meal.

"Nothing better than a fish for a snack!" he exclaimed. My cold glare froze his smile. He sighed, then moved closer towards me. "Honey, we've got to talk. I'm a fisherman, so you can't expect me to stop saying the word 'fish.' It's ridiculous."

"No, it's not," I said stubbornly. "What's ridiculous is that you never help with our house funds."

Ray's face contorted in puzzlement.

"Wait—Is that what this is about?" he asked me. I picked at my salad.

"Maybe," I admitted.

Ray laughed.

"But that's untrue!" he protested. I dropped my fork, then spun around to face him.

"You're despicable, you know that?" I hissed. "How dare you take credit for all of my hard work! You're lazy, unreliable, and demanding! I don't even know why I married someone like you!" The whole café was staring at us, amazed that we, the perfect newlyweds, were having a lover's quarrel. Ray's face turned red.

"I provide food for the family, Harley. Isn't that enough?"

"NO, it's not!" I shouted, standing up. "Fishing hardly counts as a job, Ray! You were a HOBO before you married me! A hobo, Ray!"

"Harley, are you…okay?" Ray questioned me uneasily. If I was ticked before, I was furious now.

"NO, I'M NOT OKAY!" I screamed.

Ray stood up.

"Then that settles it. We're going to the Clinic."

"I DON'T NEED TO GO TO THE CLINIC!" I hollered indistinctively. "I'M JUST SICK OF YOU AND YOUR STUPID FISH!"

Ray looked to Duke and Woody for help, and the two men nodded. Next thing I knew, I was being shoved to Alex's Clinic.

"It's ten at night," a sleepy Alex protested. "We're closed."

"My wife's not feeling okay," Ray explained. "We thought you could give her a check-up."

"I'm feeling fine," I argued through gritted teeth. "Fine, fine, fine!"

Alex turned to Ray and nodded, then proceeded to examine me. I was totally unprepared for what happened next.

"I think Harley's pregnant," Alex stated.

And with that, my whole world came crashing down.


	5. Chapter 5: Caught

Note: Um…How do I put this…I know I said this would be the last chapter, but it's not. A few of my friends convinced me to write more, and then I got some ideas for funny fish scenes, and long story short: I'm not ending it yet. Sorry:(

**Chapter Five: Caught**

"WHAT?!?" Ray and I blurted out. Alex smiled.

"Congratulations, you two. You're going to have a son!" he exclaimed. Martha clapped her hands excitedly.

"Oh, how wonderful! And I'll get to deliver your baby!" she giggled. I shivered. Scary thought.

"Alex, you must've made a mistake," I pleaded. "I'm not…really…"

Alex placed his hand on my shoulder.

"You'll be fine, Harley. You and Ray will be great parents, I'm sure," he comforted me.

Ray was grinning.

"You hear that, Harley? We're gonna have a BABY!" my husband shouted.

Somehow, I felt bereft of the joy everyone else was experiencing. Wasn't this good news? Shouldn't I be…happy?

Little did I know, things were steadily getting worse.

"Did you get the mail, Ray?" I shouted to my husband as I cleared the table from lunch.

"Sorry, honey, I forgot," he apologized. "I had been fishing and lost track of time this morning. Want me to get it?"

"No, I'll go," I groaned, walking out the door. "Sorry, honey, I forgot"? That lazy fish-boy! It was like I did everything around here… A thought struck me in the head. When I became REALLY pregnant, how on earth was I going to farm? Make dinner? Make MONEY? It wasn't like Ray was going to do any of that (except cook dinner…maybe). It just wouldn't get done. Was that how Ray became homeless in the first place?!? I didn't want to be homeless! I liked my home! I wanted my kid to have a bedroom, not a cave to sleep in!

"Got the mail?" Ray called from inside the house.

"Uh…yeah," I replied, taking the few envelopes out and coming in through the door. I looked through them with boredom.

"Trash, trash, something about an orchard being opened, trash, what the--?" I paused and stared in disbelief at the envelope in my hands. "No way!" I screamed.

"What is it?" Ray asked, running over.

"Nothing!" I said hurriedly, crushing the letter in my fist.

"It's something important, isn't it?" he accused me, trying to take it from me.

"No! Let go!" I protested as he wrenched it out of my grasp. He smoothed out the paper and read in a clear voice:

"To Mr. and Mrs. Ray of Flower Bud Village. I am pleased to tell you that a baby shower has been planned in honor of your future son and will be held at the Perch Inn this Sunday. All women of the village have been invited to attend. We look forward to seeing you both. –Jamie"

"Darn it, Ray!" I hollered, my hands on my hips. "Why'd you have to go and do that?"

"Oh honey," he answered me in a soft voice, "I'm sorry! You were going to surprise me, weren't you? And I've gone and spoiled it! But don't worry, it'll be just as wonderful to me even if it isn't a surprise, Harley," he promised me, a look of pure joy on his face.

"You don't get it, do you?" I exclaimed, amazed at how dense he was. "We're NOT going."

"Why not?" he asked innocently.

"There are plenty of reasons 'why not'!" I retorted. "First of all, it's a baby-shower held by a man! There's something weird about that, don't you think?"

"Oh, you're over-reacting!" Ray laughed. "You should be excited. Wow, a baby-shower…I better go see Jamie about the details!" And he was off.

I sank into a chair and sighed. It was too late to fake that we hadn't gotten the letter. Stupid Ray had ruined everything. Why on earth had I married that man…?

And now we were having a baby…a baby! Oh, I could remember being a child dreaming of being a mommy. But now, it was like being a single parent who was told she had to raise two kids: Ray and mini-Ray. What on earth would I do if my son became a mini-Ray? The possibility scared me. A lot.

And what was Jamie up to with this whole baby-shower thing? Did he think I was stupid? That man hated me more than anyone I could think of. Something was up. Something fishy.

Or maybe I was just overreacting like Ray said. Then again, since when has HE ever been right?

I figured I'd have to grin and bear it. It was only a few days till the baby shower. I would just have to deal until then.


	6. Chapter 6: Holy Fish!

Note: This update took way too long. My computer had some technical difficulties, so I couldn't get on for a while. And I'm glad that you all aren't annoyed with me for making this longer!

**Chapter Six: Holy Fish**

I woke up with a yawn, rubbing my eyes to see my alarm clock hadn't gone off in time. It was eight o' clock! That meant my whole schedule was messed up! Immediately I could tell it was going to be one of those days that would drive me insane.

I arose sleepily from the bed and headed over to my vanity, and looking into the mirror—I froze. In its reflection, there was a head of purple.

"Not a morning person, are we?" Jamie quipped with a smirk.

"Holy fish!" I screamed, turning around. "How did you get in here?!?"

"Your _husband_ invited me," the farmer retorted. "Ugh, now I can see why you wear pigtails," he commented, looking at my tousled bed-head with disgust. I blushed in furious embarrassment.

"Why, you—!"

"Harley? You up, baby?" Ray called from the doorway.

"RAY! What on earth is _he _doing here?" I demanded, gesturing to Jamie.

"Jamie?" Ray beamed. "He's helping me organize the baby shower. We've decided on a theme."

"_Under the Sea_," Jamie explained, glancing at me with evil glee. "Isn't it perfect?"

Ignoring him, I turned again to Ray.

"Why didn't you wake me up before he came over?" I hissed.

"You've been working so hard, honey, I just thought you could use some rest," Ray informed me with a sincere smile.

"Since you're having a _baby_ and all," Jamie added, putting extra emphasis on the word.

"I know! Isn't it wonderful?" Ray exclaimed.

"Hey! Back to me!" I interrupted. "Can you make him leave?"

"Oh, I don't mind leaving at all," Jamie assured me. "And I hope you enjoy motherhood, Harley. It's a shame what giving birth will do to your figure, though… Well, I suppose life can't be perfect. And it's not like you have much of a figure anyway, is it? Bye, Ray, Mrs. Ray. See you Sunday." And with a curt nod, he left, my mouth hanging out in shock.

"Yeah, he'd better run!" I yelled, locking the door angrily. " _'It's not like you have much of a figure anyway, is it?'_ Well, excuse me for being a little chubby!"

"Don't take it so hard, honey," Ray comforted me. "Jamie just has a blunt way of putting things. He's been real nice about this baby shower, hasn't he?"

"_Nice_? You think he's being _nice_?" I accused. "He's about as nice as a raging pit-bull!"

"Well, actually…I was thinking he could be the baby's godfather," Ray admitted weakly.

"Are you out of your fishing MIND?!?" I shouted, Ray staring at me in confusion. "No way is Jamie going to be the godfather. I was thinking…Ellen could be his godparent. Or Ann. Heck, even Woody! But definitely not Jamie. NO, not Jamie."

"Well, if it bothers you that much, then I suppose we'll choose someone else. Ellen's a good godmother, I suppose. I'm sorry, honey. I had no idea," he apologized with a red face. I thought darkly about the baby shower.

This marriage to Ray was getting completely out of hand. I mean, I expected children, but not so soon! Had I panicked too soon about marriage? No, wait! Maybe this was part of pregnancy. Maybe it made you freak out often. But that didn't explain why I decided to marry Ray… ARGH! It was all so confusing!

"Harley? Can I ask you something?" Ray wondered aloud.

I nodded. "Shoot."

"Why DON'T you like Jamie?" he questioned me. "I mean, we are married, we should be able to share secrets, right?"

"Hm…" I rolled my eyes. "You really want to know?"

"Yes, I do. A lot."

"Well, Jamie kind of, he didn't…" I sighed. I didn't really want to tell him, yet part of me did. But my past was something Ray didn't know about me, and if I told him some of it, I would be giving more of myself to him. Still, we were married, like it or not, and he was right.

"Basically, Jamie is my ex-boyfriend," I admitted.

Ray's face went completely pale.

"I thought Dan was your ex-boyfriend—"

"Can't a girl have more than one ex?" I interrupted. "It was in college, anyway. My first year. You wouldn't expect a guy could hold a grudge for so long—"

"Why would he hold a grudge?" Ray accused me, crossing his arms.

"Because I broke up with him," I stated, facing the wall. "I…kind of realized he didn't really love me. It was all just a game to him, and I was something to relieve his boredom with. But that wasn't the only reason. I mean, he was annoying, we were complete opposites, and every five seconds he was making fun of someone. Which was usually me."

"But opposites attract, right?" Ray insisted.

"He called me fat, Ray. And he teased me about my pigtails. And my clothes. And my grades. Like, all the time. My self-esteem meter was plummeting," I explained with a groan. "Happy now?"

"What did Jamie major in?" Ray inquired.

I paused.

"I think it was…Accounting. I'm not totally sure, though…"

There was a long, blank stare from Ray.

"What?" I demanded.

"Accounting? Why? He's a _farmer_."

"Maybe he wants to understand how to do his own tax returns…how the heck should I know why?" I snapped.

And with that, the conversation about my ex-boyfriend and I ceased. But I noticed that Ray started acting a little kinder to me after that about the baby shower, saying, "But that thing with you and Jamie is all in the past. I'm sure he just wants to be friends."

Of course, Ray's optimism was a far cry from the truth.

Jamie wasn't over our break-up; his pride had been damaged, and he was intent on getting even. My marriage to Ray was an ideal weakness to torment me with, and he knew it. It seemed like he and I were the only ones who understood what was really going on under all the false smiles: a battle of revenge and a battle for sanity (mine being the latter).

I tried to explain that to my husband. Of course, he said I was over-reacting. And maybe I was. But I doubted it.


	7. Chapter 7: DieHard Vegetarians

Note: Did you notice I changed the way the chapter names work? In my original (unpublished) rough draft there were only 5 chapters, and the names worked well. But now I'm basing the names on chapter content. Like, "Holy Fish!" last chapter.

**Chapter Seven: Die-Hard Vegetarians**

It was Saturday. The day before the big BS day. BS day...or as the others called it, Baby Shower Day. How I hated the sound of those words…

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and looked at my field in satisfaction. The rows of corn were growing beautifully, and they could be harvested tomorrow. Pregnant or not, I took my work seriously…unlike a certain someone who shall remain nameless. cough, cough, RAY, cough, cough

As I thought of my lazy husband, I turned to see he wasn't fishing on Duck Bridge. Now, not seeing Ray on Duck Bridge around noon is like not seeing that fat dog in Perch Inn. It just doesn't happen.

"What on earth is he up to?" I sighed, putting back my watering can. Of course, there could only be one explanation. If Ray wasn't fishing here, he was fishing somewhere else. And that somewhere else would be…

Sunny Lake. I whipped out my fishing pole for the first time in weeks and headed down there, motivated by curiosity more than anything else. Ray's schedule never changed so drastically.

Sure enough, Ray came into sight as I approached Sunny Lake. His back to me, I could see him struggling with a fish on his rod, grunting in exasperation. Finally, a fish flew out of the water, sending ripples across the lake's glassy surface. Beads of sweat lay on the fisherman's brow, but he laughed and smiled so brightly it seemed as if he'd used no effort at all. The sun shone as yellow and golden as the corn I had just watered, its sunlight cascading down through the foliage and onto Ray's slight yet muscular form.

I had never seen a more handsome Ray.

"Harley?" The fisherman turned to me with an expression of concern. "Did Jamie visit again? Did he say something?"

His words knocked me out of my trance.

"Uh, no," I stuttered. "I haven't seen Jamie since the other day." My mind was still spinning. Was there something I had been missing about Ray? Why hadn't I seen him like this until now?

"I'm glad," he replied. "But then, why are you here?"

"Well, I was looking for—" I stopped and blushed.

"You were looking for…?" Ray repeated.

"Why are you fishing over here?" I questioned him abruptly, pointing to the mound of fish beside him.

"Oh, I needed to get enough fish to make fish sticks to serve as appetizers at the—well, you know. The BS day," Ray explained sheepishly.

The baby shower… Immediately my moment of awe with Ray was destroyed. He was once again the dopey, optimistic, lazy, fish-loving hobo I had married.

"Fish sticks?" I repeated.

"Fish sticks," he agreed.

"That won't work, Ray," I sighed.

"Why not?" he practically whined, glancing sadly at the pile of fish he'd worked so hard to catch all day. I winced at his puppy-dog eyes, but I knew what had to be done. I had to hold my sanity over Ray's feelings. Besides, the ends justify the means…right?

"I'm worried about the baby's well-being," I explained, putting hand over my stomach, womb, whatever, for emphasis. "I read somewhere that what I eat affects his health."

"It does?"

"Yes, it does."

"Oh."

"And so that's why," I began, "I've decided to go vegetarian."

"Well…okay, Harley. You do that," Ray said in puzzlement. "It's not like we have any red meat here at Flower Bud anyway."

"I'm not only giving up red meat, Ray. I'm giving up white meat, too." I waited for the news to sink in.

"So, so that means…"

"Yes, yes. No more _fish_," I explained.

"But why the fish?" Ray begged.

"What can I say, Ray? I'm a die-hard vegetarian now," I shrugged. "From now on, I don't want to see a single fish in our house, or in my presence."

"But I can still fish—"

"And hurt the innocent little fishies? I don't think so," I chided him.

A hurt look crossed his azure eyes, but he nodded. "Okay. I'll do it for you, Harley. Because I love you and our future son."

I nodded. "Good. I'm going to the mines to dig for ores."

"Bye, honey," Ray said softly, looking wistfully at the lake. As I started off, I felt a pang of guilt.

What? You think I _liked_ seeing him so forlorn and helpless? Just because I resort to sneaky-underhanded measures doesn't mean I like it. And hey! I was going to be fish-free! Whoo-hoo!

But still…those puppy-dog eyes…No! I couldn't give in. I had to be strong. This was for my own good.

But was it for Ray's?


	8. Chapter 8: Fish Withdrawl

Note: WOW, what a long update. It's been weeks, hasn't it? The holidays really put me behind. And I feel like this chapter is a bit of a filler, kind of not worth the time it took. Or is it... This chapter spun the story in a direction that I really hadn't planned, but I think it's going to be a good one. Anywho, I'm gonna try to get another chapter up after this one soon. And it'll be about the BS day! Ha-ha!

**Chapter Eight: Fish Withdrawal**

I sipped my coffee and looked quizzically at my husband. He'd been sitting by the window sighing all night. It was pathetic, really. He reminded me of a young child who'd just been punished and was now sulking about it.

"You okay?" I asked finally.

"I'm…alright," he said half-heartedly. "Don't worry about me." A fake smile was plastered across his lips. His hands shook a little, as if groping something that wasn't there.

Like a fishing rod.

"It's 6 am, and you haven't slept all night. Are you sure you should go to the BS?" I questioned him, taking another sip of my coffee.

"Ah, the BS. It'll be fine," he replied, waving me away. "Honey, I'm more worried about you. With Jamie there…will you be okay?"

HECK NO.

"Of course!" I lied. What can I say? I owed Ray. I mean, I'd just committed one of the most terrible crimes EVER: telling my husband he can't fish anymore. He deserved something from me. Even if that was complete and absolute torture on my part.

Ray brightened up a little at that.

"Do you think you're getting along with Jamie now?" he asked hopefully.

"Ray, there are miracles, and then there are impossibilities. Your suggestion is the latter."

"Oh," he sighed. "That's too bad."

Silence.

"Well, I'm going to go water the plants," I said finally, leaving the room.

"Okay, honey. You do that," he called behind me.

I closed the door hurriedly. Man, I felt guilty. Since when was Ray so…depressed? I harvested the corn with a frown on my face. Ray hadn't been acting…well, Ray-ish since I banned fish from our home. But I had won! There were no more fish! I should have felt happy. Excited. Joyful. Triumphant, even. But instead, I felt guilty.

Dang it.

I shoved the corn into the bin and finished watering the plants and feeding the animals. Ray was not my problem. If he wanted to act depressed and forlorn, I should give him time for self-pity. He'd get over it eventually. He had to. No one could go through fish withdrawal their whole life.

Or could they?

"No, Harley, you can't cave in!" I willed myself through gritted teeth. "This is no time to suddenly feel sympathetic to Ray. Look at all he's made you go through! You're practically insane! This fish-thing would have sent you off the deep end."

"Wow, she talks to herself, too. What a freak," I heard someone say behind me. Yup, you guessed it.

Jamie.

"Give it a rest," I sighed, wiping my brow. "I'm too tired to deal with you right now."

"I'm just checking that you're coming to the baby shower. Not that you'd skip out on it or anything," he smirked, adjusting his hat.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming. But don't think I'm excited about it or anything," I answered. "Ray doesn't really care much about it either."

I enjoyed the expression of surprise on his face, even though it lasted only a moment.

"Well, isn't that odd? I thought our little fisherman was ecstatic about the baby shower," Jamie replied with strained enthusiasm.

"Maybe you should leave my family alone," I growled dangerously.

"Oh, are you upset?" he asked with a shake of his head. "Poor Harley, you have always been over-sensitive…"

"Don't you ever shut up, Jamie?" I retorted. "This really isn't the best time to bug me."

"Why? Are we having…fish problems?" Jamie snickered.

"You've been bothering me since I moved in. Get a new hobby," I spat. "Besides, it's none of your business."

"Anything that makes your life miserable _is_ my business," he grinned. "It's always nice to find new material to work with."

"You're a sicko," I muttered under my breath.

"And you're married to a fish freak!" he laughed joyfully. "Oh, I couldn't have planned a better torture for you myself. Ray is quite a stupid brute, isn't he?"

That did it.

"How dare you talk about my husband that way!" I gasped. "Ray might be annoying and sometimes completely clueless, but he has feelings, too! Ray is more than just a fisherman. He's more than just some homeless wanderer. He's my husband, and he's wonderful just the way he is!"

"Oh really?" Jamie commented, leaning against a tree. "It's just funny…"

"What's funny?" I demanded.

"That you, of all people, would say that." His mocking eyes bored into me, and I felt a sarcastic comment die on my lips. And with a tip of his hat, Jamie left. I felt my throat tighten and my breathing quicken. He had left me completely stunned.

Because for once, Jamie was right.


	9. Chapter 9: BS Day

Note: I don't hate Ray. Actually, on my MM file, I got him up really high on the heart meter. So I copied it and made a second file where I married him. When they asked if I wanted to marry him at the wedding ceremony, I kept saying no. Then the townspeople got ticked, and after about 10 tries, I realized that once you proposed you had to get married to the person no matter what. But it made me laugh. Very hard.

**Chapter Nine: BS Day**

"Welcome to the Ray family's baby shower!" Jamie announced with an impish grin as we entered. I had a lot of nasty four-letter words to respond with, but managed to hold them in as Ray politely (but sullenly) returned the greeting.

That guy still couldn't handle his loss of fish. And after what Jamie had said to me earlier that day, I couldn't help but wonder if I had pushed him too far. Had I been too selfish? Too self-absorbed? That couldn't be it, though. I mean, something was gonna have to go: the fish or me.

And I as sure as heck was NOT going.

Once I came in, a giggling crowd of Flower Bud women surrounded me and fawned over the future baby boy.

"Wow, you must be so excited over having your first child!" Lyla breathed, a twinge of envy in her voice.

"Be sure to take it to the mines often," Ann insisted. "You want your son to be strong, right? I could teach it to mine for ores!"

"If you get too busy, I can always help with your meals," Gwen offered.

"Wouldn't it be cute if he became a fisherman like Ray?!?" Nina squealed (naive child that she was).

"Ladies, ladies, please!" Jamie intervened, carrying an armful of presents. "Harley still hasn't opened her gifts." The smile on his face seriously scared me. Something was up.

Ray stood by me as I nervously unwrapped the first present.

"Oh…wow," I managed, handing the gift to Ray. "It's… a baby-mobile. With fish ornaments hanging from it."

"This is great!" Ray exclaimed, spinning it with his finger. His smile soon vanished with a little "Oh…" as he realized what the ornaments were shaped as. The tune of Row Row Row Your Boat played faintly as it spun. What an evil little device…really, what were they doing to children's minds these days? Jamie grinned in obvious pleasure at both mine and Ray's discomfort.

The gifts continued. Flipper slippers, a fish squeaky toy, a mini-fishing rod, a fish puzzle, a bouncy ball with the picture of a fish painted on it, pajamas with fish designs stitched on them… was this some sort of conspiracy against me or something?!? Was everyone planning to make my son into a mini-Ray?!?

"Enjoying your party, Harley?" Jamie asked me with a twisted smile. I glared at him.

"This gift list is rigged," I accused. He shrugged—I guess that means he DID do it!—but at that moment Gina spoke up.

"What are you naming the baby, Harley?" the girl asked, pushing up her glasses.

"We haven't decided yet," Ray said cheerfully. "Which do you like better, Harley: Char or Dace?"

Apparently I hadn't gotten all the fish out of his system yet.

"We aren't naming our kid after a fish, Ray!" I defended my unborn son. "How about…Jack? It's a good farming name."

Ray snorted.

"Jack? Who names their child Jack?" he laughed.

"Are you kidding me? Who names their son after a fish?" I retorted.

Ray crossed his arms.

"I was named after a fish," he muttered.

"A ray is more like a sea skate or something, not a fish!" I countered. My husband stood up, no longer calm.

"Harley, let's take this outside," he said sternly, gripping me by the shoulder as the onlookers gossiped among themselves. Jamie was laughing hysterically at the "Char or Dace?" comment. What a moron.

Once outside, Ray faced me with his face contorted in rage.

"What is up with you lately, Harley?" he accused me. "Do you have something against fish? Or against me?"

My cheeks reddened.

"You think I'm the one with a problem, Ray? All you talk about is…well…"

"Fish?" he offered gloomily.

I laughed nervously.

"We _have_ been married awhile: you're already ending my sentences." Ray wasn't laughing. I shut myself up and looked away uncomfortably.

"I know this may sound crazy, Harley, but you've been acting weird lately," Ray admitted. "There was that night at the Moonlight Café, the way you reacted to the pregnancy, your hatred of the baby shower, this random vegetarian thing? It came out of nowhere! I want to trust you, Harley, but I think something is up with you. The Harley I married has become someone that I don't really understand."

"What makes you think you understood the Harley you married?" I shouted angrily. "News flash, Ray, I have a life and a job that don't necessarily revolve around you!"

"…I could say the same thing," he replied softly. "Sometimes I wonder if--"

"If what?" I challenged.

"Sometimes I wonder if you really do love me!" he cried. Tears were actually flowing down his cheeks. Ray, the ever-happy Ray, was having a break-down. This was probably the first time in his life he'd ever gotten so riled up.

But I was pretty annoyed myself.

"So what if I don't? Why should I love you? Give me five good reasons!" I retorted.

"I can't think of any!" Ray shouted back. "That's why I assumed you loved me. Because it was the only logical explanation as to why a girl would propose to me! Me, the shy, insecure, fisherman Ray! Now I wish you hadn't proposed to me at all."

"Well, that makes two of us!" I yelled. "I wish I'd never gotten mixed up with you and your stupid fish!"

"So would you have rather gone with Jamie or Dan than me?"

"I--!" My mouth turned dry. "That's dirty, bringing up my ex-boyfriends like that," I glared.

"Mhm, so he DID know we used to go out together," a voice called from behind us. Ray and I both turned to see Jamie leaning against a tree, shaking his head in laughter.

"I thought you were inside," I whispered, color rising to my cheeks.

"Well, your shouting got pretty loud, so I decided to drop in." He flashed an icy smile at me. "Looks to me like your child's going to born in an unstable home."

"That's not true," Ray protested. "We can work things out."

"Yeah, and Nina will become an astronaut and fly to the moon," Jamie remarked dryly. "I think you have only two options: divorce or therapy. Divorce might get a little messy. I recommend therapy myself. It might rekindle that passion you two seem to have lost. Or maybe it'll make you both realize that you belong in the loony bin?"

"Get lost, you creep!" I snarled. Jamie simply grinned then walked back inside. I faced Ray.

"…I think he's right," the fisherman reasoned quietly. "Maybe we should see a marriage counselor."

"You're kidding me. I don't want to head to the city just to talk to some crackpot," I argued.

"Well, we can visit an unofficial therapist," Ray suggested slowly.

"What kind of a weirdo would agree to something like this?" I protested, shivering.

"Welcome to marriage counseling," Maria greeted us in a sweet, calm voice. "How should we begin?"


	10. Chapter 10: Fish, Cats, and Bad Vibes

Note: Whoo-hoo! Chapter Ten! Sorry this one took a while, guys. But I've been thinking... Isn't this turning into some sort of soap opera? All the drama, the suspense, the fish! But I'll shut up now. Enjoy.

**Chapter Ten: Fish, Cats, and Bad Vibes**

I sat down in the library, glancing about nervously. To be honest, it was my first time ever going there. Farming had occupied me so much that when Maria's library had opened, I hadn't given it more than a glance. The room was empty save for Maria, Ray, and myself. It was an awkward feeling, I guess. I wasn't sure I liked it.

"I want to know all about your little marriage problem," Maria told us calmly.

Ray and I exchanged hesitant glances.

"I suppose I'll go first," Ray mumbled. "Well, everything started out fine. The first time I realized there was a problem was the evening before we found out Harley was pregnant."

Maria nodded encouragingly.

"She started yelling at me out of the blue, saying something about hating me and my fish," Ray continued.

"WHAT!" I protested. "It wasn't out of the blue! I'd been fed up for awhile—!"

"Harley," Maria chided me with a cluck of her tongue. "It's not your turn yet."

"Anyway, then I was worried about her, so we took her to the clinic and found out she was pregnant," Ray began again, giving me an annoyed glance. "Then she started acting even weirder."

"How so?" Maria questioned intently.

"Well…Harley wasn't very happy. I mean, I was excited. We were having a baby for crying out loud! But the more I celebrated, the more upset Harley became. When Jamie decided to host a baby shower, I thought it was very kind of him. But Harley didn't feel the same way." Ray sighed and looked at Maria imploringly.

"Can I talk yet?" I asked in exasperation.

"Patience, Harley," Maria reminded me gently. "Just relax and wait."

Ray started talking again.

"Well, it turned out Jamie was Harley's ex—"

"SHUT UP, RAY!" I shouted, clamping my hand over his mouth. "She doesn't need to know that!"

"Harley, I'm sensing some bad vibes coming from you," Maria stated.

"There are no bad vibes," I hissed at her. "No offense, Mary—"

"Maria."

"Whatever. I barely know you, and quite frankly, I don't want you to know my personal life," I snapped.

"I think _someone_ needs to open up," Maria suggested sweetly. "Are there things in your life that you regret or are embarrassed about?"

"Don't take it personally. Harley freaks out periodically," Ray explained.

"I do not!" I screamed. "And stop telling her things she doesn't need to know!"

"But she's a _therapist_," Ray protested.

"Therapist?! She's a psycho librarian with no life, Ray!" I shouted.

"Just calm down," Maria instructed me. "I think I'm beginning to see what's wrong with this picture."

"What's wrong?" I challenged.

"You're always blaming other people, Harley. Yelling at them, insulting them, it's all a way of protecting something. Something you've hidden for a long time. So go ahead. Share your secret."

Maria and Ray looked at me expectantly.

Secret? What were they talking about? Just look at fish-face Ray and you'll see that _I'm_ not the one with a problem! Who did she think she was, telling me how I am and am not feeling? I know exactly how I feel!

"Maria," I started.

"Yes?" she replied pleasantly.

"I want you to take your psycho analysis and jump off a cliff."

She pursed her lips and looked as if she was about to say something, but didn't. Didn't she ever talk back? Didn't she ever defend herself? Her calm demeanor was really starting to scare me.

"Let's try a new tactic," she suggested brightly. Maria brought out a few sheets of paper and grinned. "This is the picture game."

"Isn't there a fancier name for that?" I remarked dryly.

"Of course there is. I just, uh, don't feel like saying it," she adlibbed quickly.

Yeah, right. I want to see this woman's degree in psychology.

"So anyway, you look at the picture on the paper and say the first thing that comes to mind. Ready?" We nodded and I stifled a yawn. This was lame.

The paper had a circle on it with two triangles sticking up on the side.

"A cat," I said instantly.

"Oh, I know! It's a fish!" Ray exclaimed.

"What an original choice, Ray!" Maria congratulated him with a smile. "A fish symbolizes flexibility, someone who can just…go with the flow, you could say?" She chuckled politely at her own joke. Did she make these up while she sat alone in her library all these hours? Ugh.

"A cat, on the other hand…" Maria turned to me with her plastic smile. "They're awfully aloof, not very affectionate towards people, aren't they?"

"Hey, how come Ray's fish gets positive feedback, but my cat makes me seem like some depressed loner?" I protested. "Isn't this supposed to be an enlightening experience?"

"I'm trying to help you see deep inside your soul, Harley," Maria assured me, still calm, still smiling.

"Are you saying my soul is a CAT?" I accused her angrily.

"Not at all. But maybe you see things differently than Ray does," Maria responded nonchalantly.

"So what if I do? Maybe he needs to think out of the fish tank!" I shouted.

"Out of…the fish tank?" Ray repeated.

"Out of the box, fish tank, whatever. Same difference!" I spat.

"Same difference…?" Ray mused slowly.

"Just forget it!" I sighed.

"You're getting very defensive, Harley," Maria told me soothingly. "Could it be your uncomfortable looking at yourself this way?"

"What way?"

"In a bossy, power-controlling way. If the conversation isn't going your way, you don't enjoy it." No. Freakin. Way. I couldn't believe Maria just said that to my face.

"You wanna run that by me again, bookworm?"

"I'm just saying, Ray probably needs a nurturing, intelligent woman by his side. Someone a bit more…sensitive," Maria informed me.

"So what, you think you know my own husband better than I do?" I raged. "You think I need to fit this perfect image in order to have a happy marriage? You want me to change for him?"

"Ray changed for you, didn't he?" Maria replied, crossing her legs. "Didn't you make him into a vegetarian?"

I found myself stunned speechless. Maria was quite the sneaky little rat, wasn't she?

"You know, Harley…" Ray said finally, turning to me. "I never really minded doing all this for your sake. It's just, giving up what I love the most for you is difficult. It's not easy at all. You understand, right?"

"Don't worry, Ray," Maria responded before I could reply. "_I_ understand, even if Harley doesn't."

Don't think I didn't notice that her hand was on his.

"Maria, can I talk to you privately for a second?" I asked her, feigning politeness.

"Why, of course, Harley," was her robotic reply.

Once we were in the back of the library (and out of Ray's earshot) I turned on Maria with an angry snarl.

"What do you think you're doing?" I accused her.

"Doing?" Maria repeated innocently. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know fishing well what I'm talking about! You're hitting on Ray," I hissed.

Maria laughed. It reminded me of one of those maniacal fits of laughter that villains always let out before they tell their brilliant scheme. And right now, robotic Maria did seem a lot like a villainess.

"Let's cut to the chase, Harley," she answered, her voice dropping all of its earlier pretenses. "Ray is a man. He needs someone who can treat him right, and you, Harley, just aren't cutting it."

"Excuse me?" I scoffed. "You think _you_ know how to treat Ray?"

"Of course I do," she boasted. "I'm twice the woman you'll ever be, Harley. You're plain, unintelligent, and going psychotic. Everyone in the village has noticed. In fact, I'm thinking of modeling a character in my novel after you. She's the village idiot."

That did it. My fist connected with Maria's sophisticated petite face and sent her sprawling into the nearest bookshelf. Maria climbed up slowly, fingering her nose gingerly.

"Ouch…I think you broke it…" she moaned. Now it was my turn to laugh maniacally.

"Is something the matter?" Ray called to us.

"Nope, everything is fine!" I grinned back. "In fact, I think it's going pretty well."

"Why, you…" Maria faced me angrily, her emotions plainly shown on her face. I smirked. Who was the one with the negative vibes now?

"Had enough?" I taunted.

"I don't understand you," she scowled. "You want to divorce Ray, don't you? And yet, you act like a jealous vixen when another girl tries to flirt with him. How can you hate him but want him for yourself this whole time?"

Hate him? I didn't hate Ray! And who said anything about a divorce? Oh yeah…that was Jamie. But anyway, Maria did have a valid point. Why _was_ I jealous?

No…I wasn't jealous. I couldn't be. Why should I care if Fish-man and Book-girl wanted to get together? I should be happy about it! Happy! Totally and completely happy! FISH IT ALL, I SAID I'M HAPPY!

"Do you…_like_ him?" Maria gasped.

"Of course not!" I shouted back. "How desperate do you think I am?"

"Harley?" Oh, fish. I saw too late that Ray was behind me. Hurt welled up in his eyes and he looked at the ground. "I…I didn't know…that you wanted a divorce this much…"

"Ray, I--!"

"No, Harley, I understand," he sighed. "If you want to file a divorce, then sign. I promise, I'll stand by your decision. I don't want to be…a burden to you."

"But, Ray, this is all happening too fast!" I protested. "What about the baby? Who would get custody? Are you sure you want to--?"

"I believe I have a solution," Maria piped up. "Perhaps it would be best if you two separated for a while, got to think individually on your feelings about the matter. What do you two think?"

This was obviously some scheme of Maria's to make Ray realize he could live without me, and for me to enjoy a fishless amount of time so that I've give in to the divorce.

I wasn't falling for it.

"That is the STUPIDEST idea I've ever heard!" I replied. "I'm not leaving the farm."

"Fine," Ray spoke. "I'll camp out on my secret island for awhile."

"You have a secret island?!?" I gasped.

"There's a lot you don't know about me."

And so, here I am, alone in my house, with the unsigned divorce forms on my desk. And I wonder, how the heck did I get stuck in this mess? And how am I supposed to get out of it? My future all depends on one signature…and I'm not what this future will be. For me, for Ray, and for my unborn son.

No pressure, right?


	11. Chapter 11: Just Lonely

Note: This chapter kind of appeared in my head and replaced another one I had planned to do. In fact, I hadn't expected the story to skyrocket in this direction. However, I'm still the author, and I'm still (kind of) in control. Eh-heh… I wonder what the reviewers will have to say about this one?

**Chapter Eleven: Just Lonely**

Summer was ending. I sighed as I harvested my last crop of the season and started to head towards the barn. My pregnancy was becoming more apparent; the baby within me was definitely growing. I had to choose looser clothing now to fit over my swelling belly.

The cows, sheep, and chickens were fed quickly. Except now, I had no one to talk to at the end of a long day's work. I went inside and opted to read another one of those _What to Expect About Motherhood _books.

It seemed so strange, so surreal. I was going to be a mother. Me, Harley! For some reason, that realization hadn't truly hit me until Ray left. Would someone like me actually make a decent mother? This was a child we were talking about, not a baby cow or sheep! If I messed up his life, he could end up like…like Jamie! Mean, grouchy, and alone.

Which, I figured, is what I was right now.

I stole a glance at the divorce papers still on the desk. Still unsigned. Still glaring at me with their mockery. It struck me that I was taking longer to decide about the divorce than it took me to decide about the marriage. This should be such an easy decision. I fully believed there was a time when I could have signed them without hesitation. But somehow, the playing field had changed. Suddenly, it wasn't all about me anymore.

I reached over to the bowl of blueberries beside me and crammed my face full. My stomach was aching for these things constantly. According to my book, it was because of the cravings I was supposed to be experiencing when pregnant, but whatever. I was just insanely hungry for blueberries.

I was startled out of my thoughts as there was a knock on the door. My heart skipped a beat. _Oh, fish…is it Ray? Does he want a divorce? I'm not ready to decide…But I can't leave him hanging there. I have to be polite. Or maybe he'll just go away…_

"Harley, I know you're in there," a male voice called.

Dang it.

I walked over to the door and opened it. And, surprise surprise, it wasn't Ray who stood before me. It was Jamie.

"Wow, I guess this baby thing is either going to happen soon or you've been bingeing like crazy," he greeted me, staring at my obvious pregnancy.

"What the fish do you want?" I retorted.

"Can't a guy talk with his ex?" he asked.

"No."

"You've gotten cold, Harley," he replied with a shake of his head. "I guess that's what happens when a marriage goes sour."

"If you ever talk about my marriage again, I'll smack you so hard you won't see it coming," I warned.

"If you want to threaten me, Harley, do it when there's not blueberry smeared around your lips," he advised me.

"Shut up! I'm pregnant, give me a break," I groaned, wiping it from my mouth.

"Oh, you think you can use that as an excuse? Being pregnant didn't stop you from punching Maria in the nose. Yeah…Alex told me it was a bad break. I'm surprised she didn't sue," Jamie laughed.

"I'm the one that should sue, after that ridiculous counseling session she put us through," I grumbled.

This caused Jamie to laugh even harder.

"Oh, you--haha! You asked Maria--hahahaha!" Tears were coming to Jamie's eyes as he doubled over laughing. "That's---haha!---the funniest thing---haha!---I have ever heard!"

"Go ahead. Get it all out of your system," I muttered. Jamie wiped his eyes and smirked.

"I had no idea you would actually take my advice," Jamie admitted. "And to go to Maria—does she know anything at all about psychology?"

"I doubt it."

"Haha, I might have guessed so. What on earth possessed you to go to _her_ for counseling? Well, you were awfully desperate, weren't you?"

"Story of my life," I sighed. "Done laughing?"

"Almost."

After another five minutes of laughter, Jamie got serious.

"There's something I need to ask you, you see," he began.

"You're not just here to bother me?" I exclaimed in surprise.

"Well, originally I was, but… I need to know something for certain." He stared at me intently. "Harley, did you or did you not sign the divorce?"

I hesitated.

"Why?" I questioned him finally.

"You and Ray are the center of town gossip," Jamie explained. "Everyone's placing bets on whether you'll stay together or break up."

"You want to know if we're divorced so you can win a BET?" I shouted. That was low, even for Jamie.

"What do _you_ think?" Jamie retorted. "I'm rich enough that I don't need to bet on you. This is more of a…personal undertaking."

"Personal?" I repeated.

"Do you remember our relationship in college?" Jamie asked me. I was stunned by the randomness of the question.

"Of course, but—"

"I remember it perfectly." A reminiscent look appeared in his ice blue eyes. "You had a class with me on Thursday afternoons. When I first saw you, I thought you were one of those smart, determined girls with pride to spare. You were one of those girls, Harley, but…you were always alone."

I wanted to shout something or to protest, but no sound came out of my mouth. I could only listen to Jamie while I desperately tried to fight against the memories he was returning to me.

A smile played on his lips. "Now I thought to myself, someone with a one-track mind like that would be easy to annoy. Yeah, it'd be fun to mess around with a girl like that. So one day, I asked you to be my girlfriend. And you acted like you'd never been asked out before."

"I hadn't," I whispered.

"That made this even more fun for me. I could make the most casual comment about your hair and you'd change its style the next day. If I got on you about your weight, you'd start dieting. If I told you that you talked too much, you'd only talk to me when I asked you a question. I enjoyed dating you immensely. And then, the impossible happened."

He turned to look into my brown eyes directly.

"You broke up with me."

"I did," I agreed softly, startled by the passion in his voice.

"Once you moved here to Flower Bud, I thought, 'this is the perfect opportunity for revenge!' Then you married Ray, and it felt so…perfect. I could get on to you about that for the rest of your life. But, one question always nagged me. What did this fishing bum have that I didn't? Why would you dump me, but go for him?" He chuckled to himself. "And then I understood. You were doing to Ray exactly what I had done to you."

"I—that is—what do you think you're talking about?" I sputtered, shocked.

"You found fault with everything that he did. It's only natural that you would do so, I suppose. But I found it, well, flattering," Jamie continued. "It seemed I hadn't realized how alike we truly are until then."

"You and I are nothing alike!" I protested. "My marriage was doomed from the start. Ray was just too different from me, too obsessed with fish, and I—"

"So you signed the divorce?" Jamie inquired hopefully. I felt uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Well…not exactly," I managed.

"Then what are you waiting for? Sign." Jamie picked up the papers and shoved them in my face.

I stared at them uncertainly.

"I'm not ready for this, Jamie," I told him.

"You said yourself that you're too different from Ray. Why not break away from him and find someone who _is_ like you? Or are you going to live as a coward for the rest of your life?"

I shook my head.

"I can't sign. Not yet."

"Harley, can't you make up your mind about something so simple? Take the blasted pen and SIGN!" Jamie shouted, jamming a pen into my hand. It trembled in my grip.

My heart beat faster and faster as I held the pen suspended over the paper. I was so close to signing. Even so, the thought of making the divorce real, breaking the marriage so completely, frightened me. Something didn't feel right about all this, but I couldn't put my finger down on what.

"Why do you care what I do?" I accused him suddenly. "Why should it matter to you if I sign or not? What do _you_ get out of this?"

Jamie's blue eyes glared at me in fury as his hands clasped onto my shoulders.

"Harley, are you really so dumb as all that? Can you really not understand why I'm doing this? You'd rather be with me than Ray, right? Well? Wouldn't you?"

And then, as I stared into his cerulean eyes, everything became painfully clear.

"You…_like_ me?" I breathed, my head dizzy. I was actually happy he was gripping me so tightly; I felt like I was going to faint.

"It took you this long to realize that?" he hissed. "Do you think I'd pay you any attention otherwise? Think about it, Harley. You're miserable and alone. So am I. Together, we could make a new start. We could make our lives _worth_ something!"

He shook me vehemently, as if he meant to force me to sign by sheer force. My brain was trying to register all this information a mile a minute. Jamie wanted me to get a divorce so I could marry _him_? Jamie, the one man I had sworn to hate forever and always, thought he could appear out of nowhere and be my savior?

No, I corrected myself, not a savior, but a _husband_. I shuddered at the thought. Living with Jamie, working with Jamie, raising children with Jamie!—oh, that was too much. Was such a marriage possible? Would it fall apart, just like mine had with Ray?

"Have you decided?" Jamie insisted.

"You just proposed to me, Jamie," I whispered. "I think I have a right to think it over."

"What's to think over?" Jamie protested. "Either you want to escape a marriage with Ray or you don't."

"You've complicated it!" I snapped. "Now if I divorce him, I have to decide on whether or not marrying _you_ would be a good idea! And let me tell you, confusing me like this does _not_ help your position."

"…I see," Jamie stated, releasing me from his grip. "I suppose I should go."

"I think that's a good idea," I replied quietly.

He started out the door, then turned to me with a hurt expression.

"You didn't need this much time to think about marrying Ray," he told me bitterly.

"I'm wiser now," I responded softly. "Good-bye, Jamie."

The door shut. I sat down on my bed and cradled my head in my hands.

"Great," I moaned. "_Now_ what do I do?"


	12. Chapter 12: Restless

Note: Does anyone ever read these?

**Chapter Twelve: Restless**

I lay awake in bed, staring intently at the ceiling. How on earth could anyone sleep after what had happened earlier that day? That was a fish-load of information to sink in. Not only did I have to decide if divorce was a good idea, I had to decide if Jamie was a good husband.

The easy answer to that was no. And yet, I found myself strangely comfortable to the idea.

The baby within me kicked and I groaned in pain. There were two things that bothered me about being pregnant: when the baby kicked, and when he hiccupped. You can feel it, believe it or not. They were small reminders that a living human being lay within me. But that thought frightened me.

This child would need caring, safety, and love. I could barely take care of myself, and now I was supposed to bring a little boy into the world? It was laughable. I wanted so badly to be a good mother, but I knew that someone like me would only screw up his life.

Heck, I screwed up my own life.

I had asked Jamie what he would do about the baby if we were married.

"What do you think about boarding school?" had been his reply.

Boarding school? What the fish?!? There was no way I was shipping the child off somewhere he wouldn't be loved. I had agonized over what to do, and I had reached a glum conclusion:

I would have to give complete custody to Ray.

What else could I do? Ray would certainly love our baby and be a better parent than I ever could. Besides, if I did decide to marry Jamie, then I knew Jamie wouldn't treat my baby fairly. Jamie would resent him for being Ray's child. And as unfair as that was, it was Jamie's personality, take it or leave it.

I kicked off the covers and sat up, looking out the window. The sky was so clear, and the stars were shining so brightly. The rest of Flowerbud must be sleeping peacefully, I thought to myself. They had normal, happy, innocent lives. They didn't have to worry about divorce or custody or anything. They could sleep at night.

Oh fish, I hated my life.

How had all this happened? How had my normal city girl life spin out of control as soon as I moved here to Flowerbud, the most naive village in the whole fishing world?!? It was so unfair! I wanted nothing more than to run away, forget all about Jamie and Ray and this whole village.

But I couldn't.

When was the last time I had a decent night's sleep? Thinking it over, I realized it was during my first week of marriage with Ray. Somehow, that struck me as odd. Wasn't it my marriage's fault that I was so broken and confused? So why, knowing this, was that week not a restless one for me? And then it hit me.

I had wanted security.

I had wanted to know that my life was going to amount to something. To know that another human being would be dependent upon me. To know I had a future full of happiness, love, and a growing family.

Funny how our wishes turn on us in the end.

Marriage had seemed the perfect outlet for these gnawing desires within me. During that first week, my honeymoon, I had thought I had finally filled that chasm of loneliness within me. And yet now, here I was, still longing for something. I wasn't sure what I was looking for anymore; it seemed I wasn't any better off than before I married Ray. If anything, I was more miserable.

Ah, irony.

What the question was now, of course, whether Jamie's love could truly satisfy me. I didn't want to make the same mistake as before; I didn't want to commit myself to someone who only made me lonelier. That would be like redoing everything I had gone through with Ray.

Giving up on sleep, I dressed myself and walked outside. I breathed in the humid air and thought with a sigh that summer was ending. What a hectic season it had been! Marriage, pregnancy, divorce, a second proposal? Sheesh. That was a lot to go through at once.

I pushed open the doors of the Moonlight Café and sat myself down by the counter.

"Long time no see, Harley. What do you want?" Duke asked me.

"Do you have anything that'll just knock me out?" I sighed.

"Ah, it's one of those days, is it?" Duke understood, going to the back. "Don't worry. I'll whip something up for you."

I slumped forward in my chair and laid my head on the counter, closing my eyes.

"Are you alright?" someone asked.

"No," I moaned, not looking up. "I'm perfectly miserable, thank you."

"Well, that makes two of us," the speaker agreed. I could hear him sit down beside me.

"I'm so insanely tired," I complained. "But I can't sleep. I worry too much."

"Worry? What do you mean?" the voice questioned concernedly.

I laughed.

"What is there not to worry about? My life is officially going down-hill. You know, I'm sick of screwing things up for myself. I wish I could do something right for once. Make a good decision, you know?"

"I'm sure it's not as terrible as you think," he assured me. "I'm sure…that you're happy, deep down."

"Happy? You're talking to the wrong girl," I retorted.

"Haven't your choices made you happy?" he exclaimed in surprise.

"No," I whispered, "they haven't." There was a long pause. "Have you ever…really regretted something?" I inquired, propping my chin up on my arms. "I mean, really, really regretted it?"

"I think we've all felt that way," he mused. "But some things are out of our control."

"That's the problem," I sighed. "I have too much control. I don't know what to do with it all. I'm afraid I'll mess up."

"I think, Harley, that you should do whatever it takes for you to be truly happy with yourself and your life. Take it from me, you don't need to do what you feel people expect of you…just to be happy. Because, happiness is something we can only find inside ourselves, you know?"

"Wow. That's deep," I whispered, sitting up.

"Here you go, Harley," Duke called out, placing a fizzy drink of questionable color in front of me. "It's a real doozy. Are you sure you want to drink this while you're pregnant?"

Fish it all. I completely forgot about that.

"What a waste…" I muttered, pulling out the payment for my undrinkable drink. A hand went over my own, holding money.

"Here. I'll pay."

I turned to finally see the speaker's face and gasped.

"It was nice seeing you, Harley," he smiled wearily, turning to leave. And I watched in suspended shock and disbelief as Ray, my husband, left the restaurant.


	13. Chapter 13: Where in the World is Ray?

Note: Should I classify this as a drama instead of a humor piece? It's been pretty emotional these past few chapters. This one is kinda long. Thanks to all my reviewers! Your enthusiasm keeps me going!

**Chapter Thirteen: Where in the World is Ray?**

"Okay…I need to talk to someone," I sighed, pacing back and forth. "You know it's been like a week since I last saw Ray at the bar, right? Well, something must be wrong with me. I'm not sure why, but I really want to talk to him again. I know, I know, I'm terrible, aren't I? I mean, I just acted like a fishing jerk about him for these past twelve chapters, and now I suddenly want to see him again? What kind of a loser am I? ARGH! I'm a fishing hypocrite! Harley the Hypocrite…that has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" I thought aloud.

"But I'm just completely confused. I mean, it's not like I love Ray or anything, right? Or do I? Or am I going insane? Maybe I should talk to a shrink…no, I've tried that. So, that's why I'm here, babbling to you like a psycho maniac. I really needed to blurt all this out to somebody. So, what should I do?"

Daisy just stared at me blankly and mooed.

Pathetic, I know. I'm complaining to a cow. But what else could I do? It wasn't like I could talk about this to Jamie. I didn't really have any close friends. And don't get me started on Maria! But something had awakened inside of me since I'd seen Ray: a conscience, curiosity, renewed love, call it what you will. I could just remember there had been something different about him since we'd last met.

There was this strange look in his eyes, an air of weariness and understanding. Before, all I had noticed was his idiotic dopey expression and bizarre fascination with fish. But now, I started questioning myself. How had Ray handled all my decisions? The separation? The pregnancy? The possible divorce? No wonder he had changed. It wasn't like I could expect him to remain constant all this time. I mean, _I_ had changed; why shouldn't he? Suddenly I was realizing that I wanted to know what he had thought about all this, what he thought I should do. And that's when the madness started.

After my morning chores had ended, I'd wander about aimlessly, following rivers and heading towards Sunny Lake with my fishing rod in tow. I insisted that I was simply getting into fishing again. Of course, that was a lie. Duke saw me constantly at the Moonlight Café. I could tell he was getting suspicious, though: why would I hang around there when I couldn't drink anything alcoholic?

He wasn't the only one to notice my strange behavior.

"Harley, what have you been up to?" Jamie greeted me, kissing me on the cheek.

"JA-MIE!" I shouted in horror. "I'm still married! You can't, like, kiss me!"

"Oh, come on," Jamie laughed. "I can't be the first man to kiss someone else's wife."

"You're sick, you know that?" I spat.

"You look so funny when you're angry," he laughed. "You couldn't possibly intimidate anyone with that chibi face of yours."

"SHUT UP!"

"Oh, did I offend you? Well, it wasn't the first time, anyway," Jamie grinned. "Have you considered my proposal any more since I last saw you?"

"Actually, I've been thinking about it a lot," I admitted.

"And?"

"Oh, I don't know!" I shouted in exasperation. "This really isn't a good time, Jamie—"

"Hold up," the farmer exclaimed suddenly. "Is that… a _fishing_ rod?"

I put it away hurriedly.

"Maybe…"

"I thought you hated fishing!" he accused.

"I thought you hated cowboy hats!"

"Don't change the subject," Jamie interjected. "Why are you fishing?"

"Maybe I won't tell you!" I retorted.

"Maybe you're looking for Ray."

"Maybe I'm not."

"Maybe you should answer me directly."

"Maybe you should go back to your stupid Harvest Goddess."

"Don't insult her!"

"I'm not!"

"Look!" Jamie shouted. "I don't care anymore! Just take your stupid rod and go fishing. It's not like anyone cares about you, anyway."

"Fine."

"Fine." He started off towards home. "Oh, and Harley?"

"What?"

"It's not a cowboy hat. It's a fedora."

"Like I care."

Okay, so maybe I'm not the nicest girl in Flower Bud. But Jamie isn't all sunshine and roses, either. And maybe I didn't want to admit that I was trying to find my husband. Which sounds really stupid, if you think about it. I mean, he's my husband. You wouldn't think I'd have to look for him, or be sneaky about it either. I have such a weird life…

But I didn't see Ray that day. Or the next. Or the next. Not for lack of trying, I can tell you. I searched every fishing spot I could think of. It was like he'd disappeared or something. And then it hit me.

Ray must be having an affair with Maria.

EW! I shuddered at the thought. Ray, with that creepy librarian zombie girl? Disgusting. But it made sense. He had to be somewhere, you know? I thought long and hard about it. I wanted to see him so badly! But I couldn't just walk in. After all, I had broken Maria's nose. There was no way she'd let me back into her sterile little library. So, I had to be sneaky. A clever little plan formed in my head, and I grinned.

Oh, it was on.

"Ann, how've you been?" I greeted the red-head with a smile.

"Alright, I guess," she shrugged. "Haven't seen you in a while, Harley. You been okay? I heard about you and Ray--"

"Hey, you still doing experiments?" I interrupted her.

"Of course!" she bragged. "Now that we've got Louis working here, I can experiment all I want! Isn't that right, Louis?" She elbowed him sharply, and he nodded sadly. Poor little guy, being bossed around. Kinda like Ray when we still lived together. Irony, irony.

"I was wondering if you could give me that chicken feed manufacturer you made a while back," I requested.

"Um, Harley? It didn't work, remember?" Ann reminded me.

"It's dangerous," Louis added. "It got blown up—"

"Do you have an extra one?" I inquired.

"Uh, yeah, but—"

"Can I have it? Please?" I used my darn cutest puppy dog face I could. Thank you, chibi face!

"Well…" She exchanged a look with Louis. "I guess so. Just don't let the mayor know, okay? He kinda…banned it."

"No worries." I shouldered the heavy device and smiled.

"That looks heavy, Harley," Ann worried.

"I'm okay."

"Louis!" Ann barked.

"Uhhh, yes?" he managed meekly.

"Carry this for Harley!" she commanded.

"But—"

"Do as I say!" she growled, staring down little Louis with her scary obey-me-or-perish eyes.

Next thing I know, Louis is staggering along beside me, carrying the outrageously heavy machine.

"It's not far," I assured him. "We're just going to the library."

"Someone shoot me!" he sobbed. For the next few steps I contemplated how dangerously assertive we women can be.

"Here we are!" I announced. "Now, put this behind the library."

"About time!" he moaned, dropping it with a loud _ker-plunk_ behind the little building. That nauseatingly cozy little building.

"You can go now," I told him.

"I intend to," he huffed indignantly, running back to the shop, no doubt to complain to Ann's father about job abuse. Or to start a labor union. Who knows.

Anyway, back to my dastardly plan.

I sat myself down beside the machine and gazed at the bright buttons silently.

"So…if I push this red button, then it will probably take ten seconds for the thing to blow up into a pile of chicken feed," I mused. "Just enough time to get out of the way."

So, with light-headed giddiness (is that a word?), I placed my finger on the red button.

And ran for my fishing life.

I hid behind a tree to the side of the building, and listened to the ear-splitting _KA-POW!_ of the machine blowing up into tiny bits. There was no way Maria couldn't have heard that.

I wasn't disappointed. I could hear the dainty sound of Maria running to the back of her precious library to check out that "awful, earth-shaking sound," as she called it.

The library was now officially empty. Whoo-hoo.

I raced inside and looked about frantically for a hiding place. I could just hide behind a big shelf…

The sound of footsteps reached my ears. She was coming back! In panic, I threw myself under her counter (talk about a lame hiding place) and shook in fear. Fear of what, I'm not really sure. I mean, I could probably take her on again. After all, I had broken her nose.

I was so fishing proud of that.

The footsteps got closer, then stopped. I caught my breath as I realized this person wasn't Maria. For one thing, those shoes were scuffed up beyond repair. There was no way prim Miss Maria would wear shoes like that. Or pants.

More footsteps came in from the outside. This new person was undoubtedly Maria.

"Oh, I've never been so frightened!" Maria cried out. "That was absolutely awful. Dreadful, dreadful!"

"Did you happen to see what it was?" a male voice replied. Whoa, I recognized that voice. Could it be--? No, there was no way I could be this lucky.

"All I saw was a pile of chicken feed. I'm so terrified, what should I--?"

"Go home and rest," the other speaker instructed her.

"Good idea," she sighed in relief. "Will you close the library for me?"

"Sure," he told her. I could hear Maria leaving. I sighed in relief. Finally, she was gone. Now I had to sneak out somehow…

"Well, Harley?" Ray announced finally. "What are you doing under Maria's counter?"

Oh, fish. He saw me.

"Heh-heh," I chuckled nervously, crawling out in embarrassment. "We've got to stop meeting like this, huh?"

"You think this is funny?" he accused. "You just scared that poor woman out of her mind! That was you who used that ridiculous machine, wasn't it?"

"Maybe…" I muttered, standing up.

"Harley, you have to be weirdest person I've ever met," he sighed. "Why on earth would you sneak into Maria's library and hide under her desk?"

"Uh…pregnant-woman stress?" I suggested lamely.

"I don't understand you," he groaned.

"And I don't understand you," I replied.

"What do you mean?"

"You and Maria," I explained blatantly. "I don't understand what you see in her."

"What the--?"

"I mean, sure, she's smart, not hard on the eyes, but come on! She's neurotic! And she's soooo smug and know-it-all like, and—"

"Harley!" Ray gripped me by the shoulders. "You have two problems: you don't listen and you have an over-reactive imagination!"

Silence.

"So is that why you like Maria?" I asked finally.

"…You can be really stupid sometimes, you know that?" he laughed. "Maria's nice, but I don't like her or anything. She's just…Maria."

"So why are you here?" I challenged.

"I heard your machine blow up. I happened to be nearby at Carl's."

"Carl's? Why?"

"I was hungry. Pancakes can really fill you up."

"So…you've been at Carl's all this time?" I exclaimed in shock.

"Well, that and my secret island."

"SECRET ISLAND?!?"

"Aren't we inquisitive today?" he commented. "You know, I have an idea."

"Huh?"

"Why don't we go to Carl's together, and you can interrogate me all you want," he suggested.

"Really?"

"Really."

It wasn't like I hadn't done that before when we were married or anything, but things were different now. I needed to know what had been going on in Ray's head. I needed to know how he felt. It wasn't just a desire anymore, it was a longing.

"Okay," I smiled shyly. And together, we walked to Carl's.


	14. Chapter 14: You, Me, and Pancakes

Note: I had fish for dinner last night. And then I thought, "Oh, fish! I have to write that next chapter!" Reading your reviews is very fun and inspiring. (You're absolutely right, Harley has become a fish-addict as well. We are what we eat.)

**Chapter Fourteen: You, Me, and Pancakes**

The pleasant aroma of baked goods filled Carl's cake shop. Now, I like Carl, don't get me wrong. But I had steered clear of this place ever since the incident with Katie and Joe (washing pudding out of your hair is no picnic). Yet today, an excitement swelled within me as I entered the little café. Excitement over what, I'm not sure. I guess I just felt that something was finally going to happen. Finally, I was going to do something.

"Hey!" Carl's boyish voice shouted to Ray and I from behind the counter. He walked over to us and huffed in annoyance. "You didn't pay for your pancakes, Ray!"

"I'm sorry," Ray apologized. "The explosion distracted me. I simply was going to make sure Maria and her library were alright."

"We have a library?" Carl exclaimed. "Wow! You learn something new every day."

"Can we sit down?" I interrupted, sick of all this talk about Maria and libraries and chicken-feed explosions.

"Of course you can," Carl grinned. "Just remember to pay me," he added, looking Ray over skeptically.

"I won't forget," Ray promised him with a little sigh as he sat himself down across from me.

I leaned back in my chair and stared into Ray's open blue eyes. How long had it been since I'd really got a good look at him? His tan skin shone under his chestnut hair. And his arms—how much muscle did someone get from fishing, anyway? Ray was pretty ripped.

Ray caught me staring at him, and I blushed and looked away in embarrassment.

"Well, you wanted to talk to you, didn't you?" he began. "Talk."

"Er, yeah," I cleared my throat. "How have you been?"

He looked at me for a moment then laughed.

"How do you think I've been?" he replied. "I've been fishing on my island almost all season long. There's no one to talk to, really. So, I just sit down, fish, and think."

"About?" I inquired.

"Oh, everything," he sighed, stretching out his arms. "About the future. Our child. What I'm going to do with my life. You. Stuff like that."

"…I see," I nodded. What I really wanted to say was: _Me, too. I've been thinking about all this, too._

But something held me back.

"Welcome to Carl's Café," Katie announced curtly as she arrived at our table. "What would you like to order?"

"Pancakes," Ray decided.

"Do you have any muffins?" I asked innocently.

Katie snorted.

"Muffins? As if we'd waste our time doing special orders for _you_," she snapped.

"Fine, I'll get pancakes, too," I muttered, glowering at her darkly. That Katie was a real killjoy. She and Maria would get along _really_ well.

"So, secret island? What's up with that?" I questioned Ray bluntly.

"It's this great fishing spot. The reason it's secret is because you have to befriend a dolphin to in order to reach it," he explained. "I thought I had told you about it after the counseling session?"

"Only briefly."

"Ah, sorry." He drummed his fingers on the table, then started to speak again. "I guess it was the perfect place to go. It's secluded and no one could bother me there. Well, except for Jamie."

"Jamie?" Now this was news to me.

"Yeah, he sometimes stops by."

"Do you two talk?"

"Depends. Not usually, though."

"Hm. Jamie's been popping in on me, too," I informed him with a wry smile. That fishing jerk! He knew where Ray had been this whole time?!?

"Harley, he hasn't been…harassing you, has he?" Ray asked me concernedly.

"Now you're jumping to conclusions," I laughed. It was a hollow laugh, and I'm sure Ray could see the doubt masked behind it. But he pretended not to.

"It's not my place to worry about that. I apologize," he spoke quickly. "We've talked about me some. What about you?"

"Eh, me?" I was a little taken aback. "Well, I guess I've just been farming. And I'm dealing with being pregnant. I've been thinking, too."

Little did he know he was getting the Jamie-edited version.

"You didn't explain why you tried to blow up Maria's library," Ray reminded me.

"What? Moi? Do something like that?" I said in mock offense.

"You're the only person that would do something as stupidly dangerous as that, Harley."

"Except Ann."

"Okay, except Ann."

Ray stared me down, waiting patiently for my answer. What was I supposed to say: 'Hey, I wanted to see you again, so I decided to try and stalk you'? Ha-ha, NO.

"I thought…uh…that Maria wouldn't let me into her library, so I, uh…"

"Why did you want to go into her library?" he cut me off swiftly.

"Er…I wanted to borrow a book!" I exclaimed suddenly.

"You? Borrow a book?" His voice was dubious.

"Yeah, it was about…being pregnant and…stuff."

Ray nodded.

"Okay, that makes sense. But next time, don't try to blow anything up, okay?"

Whoa, Ray bought it? No fishing way! How gullible _was_ he? I mean, who would believe that? Seriously.

"Here are your pancakes," Katie said as she placed two plates of the delicious stuff on the table.

"Thank you," Ray smiled.

Katie rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Just don't forget to pay."

As she started to walk off, I called after her: "Could you get me some Hot Cocoa?"

"Of course you, of all people, would do that!" she retorted, turning to face me heatedly. "Wait till the last second to order something! So typical."

"Katie, be nice to the customers!" Carl warned from the counter.

Once Katie was in the kitchen (and out of ear-shot) it felt safe to talk again.

"Friendly service here, huh?" I remarked dryly. Ray smiled.

"Oh, it's not so bad," he shrugged. "When people say things like that, you just have to remember that their words aren't directed at you."

"What do you mean?" I said slowly.

"Normally, they're just letting out their frustration and anxiety. Yelling back at them just makes it worse."

I was rendered silent. Of course Ray would understand yelling. He had endured enough of it during our time living together. But right then, I wished I could yell at him like I used to. I wished I could scream my lungs out. But instead, an eerie silence had penetrated our marriage and friendship. And I couldn't help but wonder if it could have been avoided.

"Hey, Harley? Have you…thought any about the divorce?" Ray asked tentatively.

There it was. The dreaded question.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," I countered.

"What I want doesn't matter," he replied. "The divorce is something you wanted, and I won't stop you from getting it. That would be selfish of me. The only problem that concerns me is the custody issue."

"I've already settled that," I whispered.

"You have?" Fear crept into Ray's otherwise calm voice.

I ate a forkful of my pancake and nodded.

"I think… Maybe having a baby was a mistake on my part. I mean let's face it, I'd be a terrible mother. Always screaming, complaining, and working like crazy—what kind of a role model would I be?"

"Harley--!" Ray stood up and faced me angrily. "How dare you even think about that! I know you can be a little selfish sometimes, Harley, but I won't let you do this! Don't even suggest aborting our baby!"

"Wha, wha?" I stammered. "Ray, I never said that!"

"Oh, really?" he challenged. "I've heard that's exactly what you plan to do!"

"Who would tell you something so absolutely crazy?" I breathed in intense shock. Me, abort my baby? Never! It wasn't my baby's fault I had a rocky marriage. If anything needed to go, it was me. After all, _I_ was the one who had screwed up everything.

"Jamie told me," he said carefully as he sat back down, noticing that our argument was attracting attention from the café-goers.

"Jamie can just go fish himself," I groaned. What was this, some desperate attempt of Jamie's to make me wanna marry him? How pathetic.

"I…I'm sorry, Harley," Ray began awkwardly. "I actually believed him. I should have known that you'd—"

"Don't worry about it," I sighed. "It's nothing big."

"So…what do you plan to do?"

"Actually, I was thinking…" I made eye contact with Ray. "How do you feel about being a father?"

"Are you kidding?" he grinned. "Is there anything more wonderful than being a parent? Knowing that you get to bring one more life safely into the world—"

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but that's the mother's job," I interrupted. "You don't have to shove him out."

"…That's not what I meant."

"I know," I smiled. "Sorry. Bad joke."

"Anyway…" He cleared his throat. "I really want to make this parent thing work. So, what do you want to do?"

This was it. If I didn't tell him now, it would be harder for me to ask later. So I said it bluntly:

"Would you like full-custody of our baby, Ray?"

'Stunned' wasn't the word to describe Ray. It's too much of an understatement.

"Are you feeling okay, Harley?" he asked me.

"Be careful. Remember what happened last time you said that?" We both laughed softly to ourselves.

"But, really, you think I could raise a baby boy all by myself?" he protested.

"Well, yeah," I admitted.

"Harley, that's insane."

"Huh?" I actually had thought that plan was pretty brilliant, myself.

"First off, I don't have a good income all by myself," he explained. "Second, as you put it all those weeks ago, I'm a 'hobo.' Where would he live? How could I afford to give him clothes and food and toys?"

"What, are you suggesting _I_ raise him?" I tried to understand.

"No, but think about it realistically. We can't raise him without sharing the responsibility. He could live with you, and I could--"

"You'll what? Live in a separate room? Like the villagers would accept that, Ray. And what if I got married to—" I clapped my mouth shut just before the word "Jamie" popped out.

"Get married?" he repeated. "Do you really think you'll remarry?"

"Won't you?" I responded.

"…I don't think so," Ray spoke softly.

Silence. I picked at the food on my plate and looked at his impassive expression. Was it really such a sore subject? You saw people get divorced and remarried all the time. This wasn't anything new, right?

So why was he so silent?

"It's a beautiful day," I said finally, staring out the window.

"Yeah. Autumn's my favorite season," he agreed.

"Didn't we meet in autumn?" I spoke suddenly.

"Yeah, we did. It was the day before the Full Moon Festival. I remember it…very clearly," he whispered.

The moment was broken by Katie's loud voice insisting we pay now or work our debt off in the kitchen.

"Hey, you paid last time, right?" I reminded him. "Allow me." I pulled out the money and waved away Ray's protests.

"I couldn't make you pay," he insisted. "I wouldn't feel right doing that."

"You know how you can pay me back?" I suggested. "Meet me here tomorrow again, about this time in the afternoon."

A light rosy color began to rise in Ray's cheeks.

"Actually," he replied. "I'd like that. A lot."

"Me too," I grinned. And for the first time in weeks, I found myself completely and genuinely happy.


	15. Chapter 15: Don't Diss the Corn

Note: A Ray-POV chapter, huh? Well…I don't think that's going to happen. You see, this is Harley's story. And if you think about it, Harley isn't as stable as Ray. Ray knows exactly where he stands in this situation. Harley, however, doesn't. She's still trying to sort her feelings. (BTW, I had a lot of trouble writing this chapter. Took me three drafts to be happy with anything. Stupid writer's block…)

**Chapter Fifteen: Don't Diss the Corn**

These meetings went on for a while. Eventually, though, we could only meet once a week due to our schedules. Until finally, seeing Ray at Calloway Café became a daily routine in my otherwise crazy and fished-up life.

Okay, I'll admit, it wasn't just the food at Calloway Café that kept my weekly visits. Ray had such an easy-going personality; it was so easy just to empty yourself out to him. I mean, how many people can have a regular conversation with their husband while separated, pregnant, and contemplating divorce?

Yeah, that's what I thought.

But lately, our conversations consisted of randomness and whatever was on our mind at the moment. Divorce? We managed to steer clear of that topic mostly. I don't think Ray minded it as much as me. I just wanted to grasp at something normal for once, and Ray's talks with me offered that.

"So, when you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?" I asked, tracing my finger around the rim of my cup. Carl's Café was pretty empty today other than Nina and Lyla sitting in the back.

"Actually," Ray said thoughtfully, "I think I've always wanted to be a fisherman. What about you?"

"Promise you won't laugh?"

"I promise."

"Well…I'd always wanted to be a ballerina," I admitted awkwardly.

"Seriously?" A smile spread on Ray's face.

"Remember, you promised!" I reminded him sternly.

"But you in a pink tutu and tights… How long did that last?" he inquired in amusement.

"Not long. My feet felt like they were going to wear out and the tights itched like crazy," I told him.

Katie placed a slice of cake on my plate, whispering, "You would have been a lousy ballerina, you klutz."

"Shut the fish up, Katie," I muttered back.

"Everything all right?" Ray questioned me.

"Absolutely," Katie replied with heavy sarcasm. "Your wife is _so_ very charming, Ray. How did you _ever_ get so lucky?"

"Katie!" Carl called from the counter with his hyper-boyish voice. "Are you being cheerful? If you're not cheerful, I'll dock your pay! This café runs on smiling faces! So smile! Or you're fired!"

The waitress gritted her teeth and flashed a terrifyingly fake smile.

"I'll just leave you two to your super-de-dooper meal!" she announced in frustration, leaving to the Employees Only Room. A loud scream of "MY JOB SUCKS!" sounded from inside there before Katie re-emerged looking submissive and ready for work.

Ray cleared his throat awkwardly.

"So…"

"…yeah."

"My turn to ask a question," Ray began. "What is your greatest fear?"

"What's yours?" I countered.

"I asked first," Ray insisted.

"Dang it." I scratched my head in thought. "That's a good question. Uh…"

"Well, if you don't know, then I'll answer," Ray sighed.

"Loneliness," we spoke simultaneously. I blinked in surprise as Ray looked away in embarrassment.

How ironic. Both of us were separated and supposedly happier than when we were married, and yet we were afraid of loneliness. Could it be…? No, I was thinking too hard about this. I had to change the subject.

"So, I'm thinking about upgrading my house," I said, eating some cake.

"Again? Why do you need a bigger house?" Ray accused.

"Well, I figure our son is gonna need a bedroom, right? And if you don't have a house, I guess I'm gonna have to let him live with me."

"That's true…" Ray sighed. "Fishing doesn't earn much."

"But if you stay in Flower Bud, you can raise him outside of the home," I persuaded.

"Yes. If I stay," he repeated.

"You _will_ stay, won't you?" I pleaded, a pang of fear surging through me. He couldn't leave. No, I needed him. I needed that feeling I got when I sat beside him like this. If he left...I wouldn't know what to do.

His blue eyes darted from me to my plate.

"I don't know. I—Are you going to finish your cake?"

"Huh? Oh, no, you can have it," I said, pushing my plate towards him. Somehow I'd lost my appetite.

He ate it gratefully while I waited for him to finish.

"Thanks. Hey, you want to go outside?" he invited me with a smile.

"Outside?"

"For a walk on the beach. Just you and me," Ray explained, looking me straight in the eyes.

"Um…sure," I blushed. The way he was looking at me… Whenever Ray said something like that, he normally fidgeted or his face turned red. But this confidence—I wasn't used to it. It sort of captivated me.

As we walked outside, I suddenly became very conscious of the time.

"It's getting late," I exclaimed. "I need to head over to Woody's and ask for the upgrade—they'll be closed soon—"

"It's fine," Ray shrugged.

"NO, it's NOT!" I shouted heatedly. He stared at me in surprise. Heck, _I_ was surprised, too. Had I really just spoken my thoughts out loud like that?

"W-what I mean is…" I stammered, "I'll come to the beach after talking to Woody. Do you mind waiting?"

"Not at all," he smiled.

"It won't take long, I promise!" I insisted, running to Woody's with all the speed I could muster.

Oh, fish, fish, FISH! Stupid errands taking away my time with Ray… Why did I have to be responsible anyway? Oh yeah, I was going to be a mother. I'd forgotten that. But still, did errands have to take away _all_ my free time?

I arrived at the door to Woody's and composed myself. I had to be calm. I had to get this over with as fast and efficiently as possible. With that in mind, I opened the door.

"Shut up, Joe!" Kurt was shouting at his brother.

"Oh, come on," Joe whined. "You know you want some."

"No, I don't! I don't want any part of a videogame cliché aimed at Americans!"

"Um…hello?" I said, walking in.

"Saved by the fish-wife," Kurt breathed in relief.

I shot him a dirty look and turned to Joe, who was holding an ear of corn.

"Can I upgrade my house?" I asked him with a sigh.

"Not yet! Woody's out doing stuff. We can't do anything without him."

"Why not?" I replied in annoyance.

"Because we're apprentices who don't do anything until someone decides to hire us," he grinned.

"That sounds…important…" I managed.

"We _are_ important!" he agreed, totally missing the sarcasm.

"What's with the corn?" I asked as I sat down, realizing I would be waiting here a while.

"Isn't that obvious?" Joe smiled. "Don't you see my bandana?" He pointed to his head for emphasis.

"I know, it's the American flag," I groaned.

"Right! And all true Americans love corn…Except Kurt."

"That's a myth fabricated by videogame-makers in Japan," Kurt explained with a frown. "I don't appreciate it at all."

"It doesn't sound _too_ terrible," I tried to comfort him.

"But I don't want corn!" Kurt shouted. "Why can't they say something more accurate, like 'some Americans like corn, but not _all_ of them do'?"

"Oh, you like it deep down," Joe assured him with a laugh. "You're just too stubborn to know it yet."

"I am NOT stubborn!" Kurt screamed at his imbecile of a brother.

"If you're going to get that mad, why don't you just chill at the Sanatorium with your other impaired friends?" Joe smirked. "You fit right in there."

"Maybe I _will_ leave," Kurt threatened, stomping out of the building angrily with obscene hand gestures.

Oooh…the mood was tense.

I bounced on my feet and looked about for Woody impatiently. I needed to hurry and see Ray! I didn't have time for this.

"Are you sure you can't do this for me?" I insisted.

"I'm sure," Joe told me.

"Great, just great," I moaned, burying my head in my hands. Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I looked up with a scowl.

"Corn?" Joe offered me smiling.

"ARGH!" I yelled, knocking the corn out of his hands. "I'm fishing tired of this! Upgrade or not, I'm going to the beach!"

I stormed through the door and ran smack dab into someone.

"I'm so sorry—" I stopped in mid-sentence.

It was Katie...and she was _scary_ mad.

"Well, well, well, this is what happens when I'm not on break?" she accused Joe. "Guess the slut isn't happy with just her husband, huh? She needs to tread on everyone else's territory now! It's not enough that I have to deal with you at work, but you want my boyfriend, too!"

"I just wanted a house upgrade!" I protested.

"Woody isn't here," she challenged. "Everyone knows that you can't do that without him!"

"Well, I don't know what you want in a corn-obsessed maniac anyway!" I retorted, seriously ticked.

"At least my boyfriend doesn't live on a secret island and talk to freaking dolphins!"

"Hey, hey! Don't bash the dolphins!"

"Don't diss the corn!"

"Stop pretending I'm desperate enough to take your loser of a boyfriend!"

"Oh, shut up!" Katie snapped. "Once a man-stealer, always a man-stealer!"

"You wanna run that by me again?" I taunted, crossing my arms.

"Gladly," she smirked. "Once a man-stealer, always a--!"

SMACK! My fist ran straight into Katie's blabbing face. Joe gasped in alarm as she recoiled on the ground, wiping blood from her nose.

I had a quick flashback to Maria, but ignored it.

"Katie, are you alright?" Joe asked her in concern.

"Urgh…what do _you_ think?" she spat angrily.

There was an awkward silence.

Joe picked up the ear of corn and, smiling, turned to her.

"Corn?"

Another loud scream erupted from Katie, and I took it as a sign I should leave.

And let me tell you, I got out of there _fast_.

I ran past Woody along the way, but I didn't care enough to get the upgrade anymore. I was currently worried about my survival, and my ability to run while pregnant (which wasn't all that good).

Soon, the beach came in sight. And lo and behold, Ray was there like he'd promised, waiting patiently. He turned and smiled at me as I approached him breathlessly.

"What happened to you?" he wondered aloud.

"I…really need…to stop…breaking people's…noses…" I gasped.

"Maria got to you?" Ray exclaimed.

"Worse," I panted. "Katie."

It took him a moment to let the information sink in.

"Harley!" he chided me. "What on earth is wrong with you?"

"I don't know!" I cried out in exasperation. "I just don't think, and then I punch, and—"

I stopped at the sound of someone laughing. To my amazement, it was Ray.

"Hahaha…What are we going to do with you?" he teased. "At his rate, all of the girls in Flower Bud will have bandaged noses."

"I…I'll try to get better at controlling myself," I apologized, taking his hand.

"Are you still up for a moonlight walk?" he asked me.

"Yeah," I told him.

For a while, we walked along the shore in peaceful silence, enjoying the company of the stars and each other. My heart fluttered as I looked at him, and I tried to suppress the strange feeling welling up inside me.

Was it something I ate? Or did I truly enjoy Ray's company…see him as a friend, no, as more than a friend. Was something hidden there all along? Had this feeling just be waiting to wake inside me? Could it be…Possibly…

My mind spun. This man beside me was my husband. My _husband_. Why had this happened? Why hadn't I felt this way when we lived together?

Had I ever gotten to know him before this fall season? Had I ever realized he had more to talk about than fish? Did I ever notice his beautiful smile, his loyalty, his _love_?

No, I had only thought about myself.

I had pushed him away with selfish thoughts and overly high standards. I found fault with him for appreciating life more than I ever had. I had pushed him down in order to make myself feel greater.

Just like Jamie pushed me in college.

I had to stop all this madness! I…I couldn't _take it_ anymore. Was divorce what I really wanted? To make myself even more lonely, and to make my child lonely as well? To have Ray leave Flower Bud for good and remain just a memory and a regret?

It was time I did what my heart had been telling me all along. It was time I spoke my mind. He _had_ to know!

"Ray?" I began tentatively. My voice broke off in the middle of his name.

"What is it, Harley?"

"Um…That is…" I cleared my throat. "We've been together a while now, since the BS day and all, and I—I miss it."

"Miss what?" Ray asked me in confusion.

"Oh, don't you know anything!" I shouted. "I miss everything: us, the way things used to be! I miss you, and I'm scared of what will happen without you! Why do you think I broke Maria and Katie's noses? I just wanted…" My voice grew softer as I whispered, "…to be together."

I hung my head, waiting for a reply of any kind. How could I have done that? Blurting out my feelings five seconds after realizing them…how would he take it? Oh, fish, what had I _done_?

Ray didn't answer. And then, I felt myself being pulled towards him and my lips connected with his. The shock of the kiss stunned me for a moment before I relaxed and truly began to enjoy being in his arms.

This was how it should be. _This_ was what I had wanted all along.

"Well, what have we here?" a familiar voice snapped. "It's been a while since I've seen you two _together_."

I blinked in surprise as Ray and I pushed away from each other in panic. No. This was not happening. He wasn't here. Not now, not ever! NO!

But no matter how furiously my mind screamed, it couldn't change the fact that a seething Jamie was standing right in front of me.

Things were going to get messy.


	16. Chapter 16: Love and Lies

Note: Climax point! (Wow, there's only like a few more chapters to go. Time flies.) How did you guys feel about that last part? Were you Harley/Ray fans pleased? (Yes, yes, it was a bit obvious, I'll admit, that the pairing would sway that way.) BUT! Jamie is back with a vengeance, and this fic is becoming more like a soap opera by the minute! The drama! The suspense! THE FISH! Review if it makes you happy!

**Chapter Sixteen: Love and Lies**

"Jamie?" Ray exclaimed in surprise, slightly embarrassed to have been seen kissing me.

And if he was embarrassed, imagine just how freaked out _I_ was.

"Don't make eye contact," I whispered to Ray. "We don't need to talk to him."

"So, I see you two have kissed and made up," Jamie remarked, smiling. I recognized that smile. It was a mask that hid ugly feelings like hurt, betrayal, and jealousy. The last time I had seen that smile…was when I had broken up with Jamie in college. Now, staring into his intense gaze once again, I felt a tremor of fear crawl up and down my spine.

"I suppose you could say that," Ray replied cautiously, unsure of what that smile meant.

"Yes," I added. "We've overcome our differences, and we're together again. You know, _together_." I emphasized the word, hoping to imply that I had no interest in a relationship with Jamie.

"Well, I'll admit this has thrown me a little off-guard," Jamie chuckled. "I'm surprised, Ray. You didn't seem like the kind of man who'd…ah, never mind."

"The kind of man who'd do what?" Ray repeated, starting to get defensive. I clung to his arm and tried to pull him away.

"It doesn't matter. Let's leave."

"I'm what kind of man?" Ray challenged Jamie.

"Well, I didn't think you'd accept a woman who betrayed you once," Jamie explained. "It's a lesson I've only just _recently_ learned." The word "recently" was directed at me, and my knees started to buckle in fright.

"The divorce means nothing," Ray protested. "She never signed the papers. I would hardly call her previous doubt a betrayal."

"What about…another man?" The word rolled off of Jamie's tongue casually, as if it were the most natural thing to say in the world.

"What?!" Ray shouted furiously.

"Please, Ray!" I begged, turning to him desperately. "Let's go. We don't need to hear what he has to say."

"Oh, I think he _does_ need to know what I have to say, Harley," Jamie smirked. "You know about Harley's previous relationship with me, correct?"

"Yes…" Ray began slowly.

"I think it would interest you very much to know that Harley and I rekindled that relationship after your little separation," Jamie stated. "I admit, it was mostly my fault for entertaining the girl's fantasies, but when a door of opportunity knocks, it's best to open it—"

Ray's face turned pale as he turned searchingly from Jamie to me, his blue eyes pleading. That look, of utter shock and despair, awoke more shame in me than I could bear, and I turned away, covering my face in my hands. How could I face him?

"You're lying…aren't you?" Ray insisted. "I mean, Harley and I had our differences, but…but she'd never…"

"You poor man," Jamie said with false sympathy. "You mean Harley didn't tell you about the reasons behind the divorce?"

"What reasons?" Ray fumed.

"Why, namely, that she'd be able to marry me," Jamie spoke innocently, savoring the pain Ray and I were enduring. "I soon grew tired of her childish ways and decided it would be best if we broke up. So, I guess Harley just settled for you instead of me."

I snapped back to reality at what Jamie had just said.

What the fish…?

"That's not true!" I protested, clinging to him. "Ray, you have to listen to me! The divorce had nothing to do with Jamie, I swear!"

"…Get away from me," Ray hissed, knocking me away.

"But it's not true! I thought I wanted a divorce because I was so unhappy! But I just recently realized who was at fault for all this, who was really to blame. And it was—"

"Me, isn't it?" Ray snapped. "It's always my fault, isn't it, Harley? My fault you were married, my fault you were miserable, my fault that you were pregnant, my fault that you had no friends, my fault that you left me for Jamie?!"

"Ray!" I begged, tears streaming down my cheeks. "You don't understand! I really do love you!"

"How does it feel to be betrayed by the one you love the most?" Jamie asked Ray with a smile. "Isn't it a heart-wrenching agony? And now, to see her lie to your face—"

"Shut the fish up, Jamie!" I cried. "Ray, Ray, you have to listen to me, please!"

"What is there more to hear?" Ray replied icily. "I'm just a replacement for your precious Jamie. He broke up with you. Why shouldn't I?"

"Because I never loved Jamie! Oh, fish, don't you understand?!" I pleaded desperately. "Jamie proposed to me, but I swear I didn't accept his proposal! It was a one-sided love! It took me so long to realize it, but I love you, Ray. Can't we forget the past?"

"You can't even take responsibility for your actions?" Ray accused me. "Don't disgust me any more than you already have."

"But what can I do to make you understand?" I shouted. "I've made mistakes, and they were all my fault! Each and every one! But you can't possibly want it to end this way, can you?"

"…It's not a question of what I want," Ray murmured softly. "It's a question of what has to be done. I won't let you walk all over me anymore."

"Bravo, Ray!" Jamie applauded. "Don't let her tread all over you."

"Shut your mouth, Jamie," Ray growled, glaring at him. "Don't think you aren't to blame for this as well. If you ever pull anything like this again, I swear you'll regret it."

"Ooh, threatening me, are we?" Jamie smirked.

"Yeah," Ray stated firmly. "I _am_ threatening you."

The fisherman cast me a glance, then closed his eyes and turned away, walking down the beach.

"But…I…Ray, please…!" My words became an unintelligible sea of sobs as my whole world collapsed around me. Everything was supposed to be perfect now. I was supposed to never be lonely again. My child was supposed to have a family. I wasn't supposed to be crying, watching the only man I've ever truly loved walk away from me.

"You!" I hissed, turning to Jamie. "You did this to me!"

"Did I?" he shrugged. "You never turned down my proposal, did you?"

"I--!"

"And quite honestly, I'm glad you think it's my fault," he smirked. "Harley, I thought you were over the fisherman by now. I thought you had grown up, and realized that I was the best bet you were going to get." A wave of jealousy crept into his voice as he continued. "It seems, however, that you are just an immature child, not worth my time. Harley, I'm sick of your fished-up emotions making my life a nightmare. It's not enough for you to turn me down once, but you have to do it again! And this time, it's for some fishing hobo?!"

"Oh, shut up!" I screamed. "Who cares about your stupid feelings? You've ruined me, Jamie! Ray won't come back. I—I'm going to be alone…for good."

"As you justly deserve." Jamie walked by and kicked me in the shin, sending me to the ground. "Consider yourself dumped."

I screamed in alarm at the pain. How evil can you get, kicking a pregnant woman?! As Jamie began to leave, suddenly I heard a voice say: "What the fish do you think you're doing?"

"Ray?" Jamie laughed, seeing the fisherman turn around at the sound of my cry. "Surely you can't be upset over a little punishment. After all, remember all she's done to you."

"It doesn't matter what she's done," Ray spoke angrily. "You just hurt the mother of my son!"

"Oh, what a scary little fisherman you are," Jamie taunted. "What are you going to do? Shove a fish down my throat?"

"I warned you," Ray reminded him, running closer with his fist raised. And to my surprise and astonishment, Ray—my fishing hobo husband—punched Jamie in the nose.

"Holy fish!" Jamie and I exclaimed in unison.

"Stay away from Harley," Ray threatened. "I told you not to mess with her."

"Aw, fish! I'm gonna sue you for this!" Jamie shouted, running off in fury. "You haven't heard the last of me, you fishing freak!"

"R-Ray," I stammered, trying to overcome the shock. "How did you--?"

"I learned from the best," he smiled weakly. "We should get that leg of yours checked."

"I thought you hated me…" I whispered.

"Part of me does," he admitted. "But I couldn't let Jamie hurt you like that. No one should kick a pregnant woman. It's just…evil."

"Jamie _is_ evil incarnate," I agreed.

"Can you stand?" Ray asked me in concern.

"Kind of," I said weakly. "Urgh…How pathetic…"

"Come on," Ray said, placing his arm around me, "you can lean on me. We'll get to the Clinic as fast as we can."

"So, do you forgive me, then?" I asked hopefully.

"Let's take this one step at a time," Ray replied. "I…still have some thinking to do. But the priority right now is getting Alex to look at your leg."

"Okay," I said, somewhat dejected. _But this is the first step, _I reminded myself. _Everybody has to take the first step._


	17. Chapter 17: Beware the BrokenNosed

Note: AH! Can you believe we have over 100 reviews? Over 110 reviews?! You guys totally rock! If I could, I'd bake you all muffins. (Actually, I have no clue how to make muffins, so maybe that's a good thing.) So...I've really wanted to try this, and finally in this chapter there's room for it! I won't spoil, but...it hints at a pairing that I think would be cute/funny. I wonder what you reviewers would think of it? (I bet you'd love it. Seriously.)

**Chapter Seventeen: Beware the Broken-Nosed**

I won't deny it; the walk towards the Clinic was long and awkward. There I was, fat and pregnant, relying on my husband, who pretty much hated me now. Yeah, not fun in my book. I'd try and strike conversation or say a joke (which wouldn't seem all that funny) or be totally silent. After a few attempts at socialization, I opted for silence. Besides, Ray had a lot to think about. And I did, too, for that matter.

So, I loved Ray. There was no changing my mind now; I was certain I loved him. Maybe I hadn't when I first married him, but now I did. He used to love me when we were first married, but now…I was just the mother of his child. That was it. Nooo! Why couldn't he figure out that Jamie had been a fishing jerk and totally twisted the truth? I mean, sure, I had _kinda_ liked the fact that Jamie wanted to marry me and that he was jealous (what girl doesn't like to know a guy loves her?) but this was insane. Honestly, why did he have to kick me? That HURT. And besides, things were going so well with Ray, too! (And did I mention he is one excellent kisser? Er, moving on…)

But no. A certain purple-haired someone just had to fish things up, didn't he? We couldn't have a happy ending on Chapter Fifteen, noooo, he had to mess up everything, didn't he? That loser. I was glad Ray punched him in the nose. I would have done it, but I was recoiling from pain on the ground. Because he kicked me. Me, a pregnant woman! How incredibly evil can you get?!

Even if Jamie's ranting had clearly ticked off Ray, at least he was taking the time to help me get to the Clinic. Granted, it was probably just because I was carrying his child, but I liked to think that he cared about me deep down. Deep down. Waaay down. Okay, at the bottom of the deep dark well. Let me dream, okay?!

So. The Clinic. Right.

We got there, obviously, and it was no picnic, I can tell you. I kept dragging my leg along the ground, which hurt, or holding myself at a funny tilt, which hurt, or supporting my pregnant self with both legs, which hurt the most. But we got there, so it's all good.

Gina opened the door to greet us.

"Doctor Alex is quite busy this evening," she smiled. "May I tell you to come back at a later date?"

"Harley is hurt," Ray tried to explain. "You see, Jamie kicked her in the shin, and—"

"Oh, Jamie?" Gina perked up. "Yes, he arrived shortly before you did. He's in the waiting room. Care to chat with him while you wait?"

"Not really."

"That's too bad," Gina sighed, "because we only have one waiting room. So, you're just going to have to deal."

"Thanks," I remarked dryly. "You've got some great service here."

"Anytime!" she exclaimed, totally missing the sarcasm. "I'm going to go assist the doctor, so please just wait over there."

"But—" Too late, she had left. Dang it.

"I'm going to talk to Alex myself," Ray told me, starting towards the exam room. "I want to make sure he has time for you, seeing as I think you take priority here."

"Okay," I grinned. How sweet of him! Maybe he did like me…no, that was stupid. Or was it? GAH! I was so confused!

I awkwardly sat myself down in the waiting area. Across from me, I could see two people in a quiet conversation. Noticing my arrival, their conversation stopped completely as they turned to glare at me head-on. I froze as I recognized the two people: Jamie and Maria. Oh, fate, fate, why couldn't you have pity on me?!

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the cause of our misfortune," Maria accused me, crossing her arms. She didn't look all that intimidating with her bandaged nose, so I laughed freely.

"That's a good look for you, Maria," I smirked.

"The same goes for you, Harley," Jamie replied coolly. "That figure suits you; swollen bellies are definitely your style."

"Shut up!"

"Hee-hee, ha-ha, that was a good one," Maria giggled.

"You laugh like a freak," Jamie said, rolling his eyes.

"A freak? Ha-ha, did you hear that? I laugh like a freak!" Maria chuckled. "Isn't he absolutely witty?"

"You're both absolutely annoying," I retorted.

"And you're not?" Jamie snapped. "Honestly, you whine more than anyone I know."

"You whine more than my father!" Maria added.

"You're as ugly as the Gourmet Chef."

"Your clothes are atrocious."

"Your pigtails annoy me."

"Your husband hates you."

"The _world_ hates you."

"So, HA!" they said together, very immaturely I might add.

So, of course, I was mature and stuck my tongue out at them.

"At least my nose isn't covered in bandages," I taunted. "Now you can't do scratch n' sniff pages!"

"Big deal," Jamie shrugged. "I never used those anyway."

"Only losers actually like those things," Maria agreed.

"Shut up!" I retorted. "I'm not a loser!" Geez, these two were even more obnoxious _together_.

"Oh no, are you getting upset?" Jamie smiled wryly.

"I do believe the poor fool is feeling a little hurt," Maria agreed.

"I can thank Jamie for that," I muttered. "Thanks for your kick. Pregnant women just _love_ getting kicked, you know."

"You kicked her?!" Maria's eyes turned to gaze on Jamie in admiration.

"Why, of course," he shrugged. "Don't tell me you think what I did was wrong?"

"Not at all! You…you're my hero, Jamie!" Maria exclaimed, hugging the farmer.

"Don't touch me," he groaned, prying her off of him.

Ew…I was getting weirded out. If Maria was flirting with Jamie—NO! I wasn't even to going to imagine what might happen. There are some things you just don't think about. Ever. Unless you like having disturbing nightmares for the rest of your life.

"Harley?" Ray was coming towards me. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"What is it, Ray?" I replied, glad for any excuse to ignore dumb and dumber over there.

"I told Alex what your condition was. He wants to see you in the back room."

"Okay!" I started to get up, then fell and let out a started yelp of surprise. Maria and Jamie found this very funny, and laughed their fishing heads off.

"Watch your step, hahaha!" Maria chortled.

"You're as clumsy as you are ugly!"

"Ignore them," Ray instructed me quietly. "Just ignore them." He extended his hand towards me, and I grasped it gratefully. As he helped me up, I enjoyed the look of surprise on Jamie's face. Yeah, Ray didn't completely hate me! Take that, Jamie!

As we entered the back room, I figured things would quiet down a bit. I was wrong.

"It's the boyfriend thief!" Katie screamed, her nose thoroughly bandaged.

"We need to work on your people skills, Harley," Ray sighed.

"You need to put her on a _leash_," Katie corrected him. "Do you know how many moves she's made on my darling Joe?"

"How about none?" I countered.

"Oh, shut up! You just think that since you have you have a crummy love life, you have to take everyone else's!" Katie hollered.

"You have a crummy love life?" Ray accused me. "And what am _I_ exactly?"

"Don't listen to Katie," I groaned. "She's high on corn."

"WHAT!"

"Settle down," someone called from behind us. Alex yawned and came forward, rubbing his eyes. "It seems we're awfully busy lately."

"Yes, Doctor!" Gina piped up, following closely behind.

"Oh Harvest Goddess, please don't let it be another broken nose," he begged. "We've had what, three of those already?"

"It's a new record!" Gina smiled.

"Urgh, I don't want to touch someone else's nose ever again."

"Harley's nose is fine," Ray interrupted. "You were going to take a look at her shin."

"Ah, yes." Alex scratched his chin thoughtfully. "How did this happen again?"

"Jamie kicked me," I informed the doctor.

"That's evil, kicking a pregnant woman!" Gina gasped.

"Hm, well, hopefully it's nothing serious," Alex sighed, gesturing for me to sit on the bed. He then knelt down and placed his hand on my shin.

"Does this hurt?" he asked as he pinched the back of it.

"Um, not really," I replied.

"How about here?"

"Nope."

"Here?"

"OUCH! What the fish are you trying to do?!" I shouted.

"Interesting," Alex murmured. "Let's try an X-ray."

"We don't have an X-ray," Gina chirped.

"Ah, I forgot," Alex sighed. "I guess we'll have to determine the injury by different means."

"Ann invented an X-ray, once," Gina said thoughtfully. "Of course, it might need some adjustments, but—"

"That's fine," Ray nodded.

"No it's not!" I protested. "I might get electrocuted and die!"

"Do us all a favor and do it, then," Katie told me.

"X-rays are nothing to be afraid of, Harley," Alex assured me with a smile. "They're harmless."

"I know that…but this is _Ann_ we're talking about!" I insisted. "Are you trying to kill me?!"

"Don't be silly!" Gina smiled. "Who would suggest doing such a thing?"

"I can give you a hint: they all have broken noses!" I shouted.

"Calm down," Alex instructed us all. "I'm going to go get the X-ray."

"I'll come, too!" Gina exclaimed, following the doctor like a puppy.

"This will be…interesting," Ray said finally, clearing his throat.

"She just bruised her shin, you idiots," Katie muttered. "It'll go away in a few weeks."

"No one asked you!" I snapped.

"Harley, calm down," Ray urged me gently. "Hold your breath and count to ten."

"Hold your breath and don't let go," Katie suggested darkly.

"Shut up!"

"You shut up!"

"No, you!"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

"This isn't getting us anywhere," Ray interrupted. "Can't we all just be quiet?"

"NO!" Katie and I shouted together.

"…Women are so confusing," Ray sighed.

Fortunately for Ray, the doctor and Gina had arrived with Louis in tow. The inventor carried a funny-looking machine on his back, and his face was red from the effort.

"They seriously don't pay him enough for this," I sympathized, eyeing the weight of the machine.

"You aren't kidding!" he panted, unstrapping it from his back with a groan. "Here's your X-ray. If this blows up, Ann and the rest of the shop take no responsibility. Just so you know." And with that, he scampered off to the shop where he worked.

"That's comforting," I said sarcastically.

"What's comforting is that if you blow up, I'll never have to see you again," Katie retorted.

"No one is going to blow up," Alex and Ray spoke simultaneously.

"Of course not!" Gina echoed.

"We'll test it first, obviously," the doctor decided.

"Obviously," Gina nodded.

"Stop replying each time I speak," Alex ordered.

"As you wish," Gina nodded.

"…That means stop talking."

"Right. Stop talking," Gina repeated.

"As in now."

"Now?"

"Yes, now."

"Right now?"

Alex slapped himself.

"Just count to ten," he muttered to himself. "Just hold your breath and count to ten."

Once he'd calmed down a bit, Alex turned to the rest of us and said, "Let's begin the procedure."

"Okay, if we're testing psycho-Ann's machine, then I am leaving," Katie announced. "There is no way Joe will date a blown-up chick."

"Suit yourself," Alex shrugged as the waitress left.

"The sad thing is, Joe _would_ probably date a blown-up chick," I muttered under my breath.

"Can someone get me a test subject?" Alex asked, putting the machine together.

"There was a super-cute bunny outside!" Gina exclaimed.

"Perfect. Bring it in here, would you?"

"Sure!" Gina left then returned quickly, holding a snow-white bunny. Hey, I knew that rabbit! I'd fed him weeds on the weekends when I was bored. I'd named him Bobo. Because, I'd already named my chicken Bob. And Bobo was the closest thing to Bob I could think of. I'm just creative like that.

"Put him under this light, please," the doctor told her. The bunny smiled as it sat patiently.

"Okay…everyone, back up," Alex commanded us. We all did so.

"One…Two…Three!" The machine was turned on. We all ducked, and we weren't disappointed.

KA-POW!

We all glanced up. There was no innocent little white bunny under the machine. Instead, there was a scorched mark on the ground and a lot of smoke.

"He…blew up!" Gina cried, kneeling by the marked floor. "No, Fluffy, no! Oh, why?! He was so young…"

"Well, at least we know it's not safe," Alex responded stoically. "Perhaps if we alter it…"

"No, that's not necessary," I laughed nervously. "Suddenly, my leg is feeling better. Really."

"I won't hear of it. You'll stay here overnight just to make sure," Alex told me matter-of-factly.

"But--!"

"No buts. I'll have Martha prepare a room for you."

I turned to Ray and sighed.

"What should I do?" I asked him.

"Obey the doctor's orders," Ray shrugged.

"But who will watch my animals? And my crops? And check my mail--?"

"I'll take care of it," Ray muttered.

"Wh-what?" I stammered, taken aback. "No, I couldn't make you—"

"Who else would watch them for you?" he replied. "Face it, Harley, you have almost no friends. Besides, I already have a key to the house."

"Okay…" I sat on the bed and watched Ray start to leave. "Um, Ray?"

"What?" he called, turning around.

"Thanks. For…everything," I smiled.

"Just get better," Ray told me. "I'll see you tomorrow then, during visiting hours."

"Yeah," I grinned. "I guess you will."

And in the background, Gina could be heard arguing with Alex about the ethics of animal-testing.


	18. Chapter 18: Code Red!

Note: I didn't mean to take this long. I'd written another draft for this chapter, but something was wrong with it… My friend Neco-Arc appropriately dubbed it a "filler chapter." You guys deserve better! So I thought long and hard and came up with this. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Easy Button, Staples does. But I could buy one if I felt like it.

**Chapter Eighteen: Code Red!**

If I had a choice, I'd never stay a night at the Clinic. There are a few simple reasons for this.

One: The beds. They are lumpy and the blankets are scratchy.

Two: The place is more than a bit drafty. I was shivering all night.

Three: The noise. I could hear Jamie's dog barking like crazy. (Does that thing ever sleep?)

Four: It smells like rotting Tylenol.

Five: You have to eat Martha's cooking, which is where the smell of rotting Tylenol comes from. And the worst part? The smell is better than the actual taste.

I'd rate it half-a-star at best. Not that anyone wants my opinion.

But the real reason I couldn't get any rest was because of Ray. Fish it all, I wanted to kick myself over and over again for what happened on the beach with Jamie. Why did he have to show up then? Why couldn't I have a chance to explain first? Fish it all, why?!? What did I ever do to the world?

Don't answer that.

I swear, it was the strangest feeling sitting awake in my bed. Part of me was insanely happy and delusional because Ray had shown some signs of forgiveness and love. The other, more practical, side of me said this was merely pity for a wounded pregnant woman.

That thought made me want to cry.

I'll admit, I'm not the easiest girl to get along with. I'm selfish, and clingy, and stubborn, and whiny, and a lot of other things no one wants in a wife. But I'm human, too. I have feelings. And the thought that Ray might leave me for good…it tore me up inside.

I can deal with Jamie. I can deal with Maria and Katie wanting me dead. I can deal with Ann accidentally blowing stuff up once in a while. I can deal with it.

But I can't deal with him leaving.

The baby inside me kicked, and I groaned. Yet another reason I was worried: my unborn son wouldn't have a father. I couldn't raise him alone…I knew it instinctively. I wasn't ready. I wasn't nurturing, or sweet, or supportive, or anything.

I was just Harley.

But Ray had been okay with that, for a while at least. He'd accepted me blindly, and I had turned on him. How much did it hurt him when I told him I didn't love him all those weeks ago? How could it have felt being rejected twice when Jamie revealed his proposal? I wouldn't want to trust me again if I were him. I would simply walk away.

And yet, at this moment, he was in my house. He was feeding my animals, and taking care of my crops, and getting my mail for me. He was _caring_ for me.

I didn't…deserve that.

Maybe I could fix things somehow, and get Ray to return to me one final time. Oh fish, what I wouldn't give to turn back the clock and redo everything! I was such a selfish _idiot_! All this time, I had been searching for what I truly wanted, and in the process I had turned him away.

But it wasn't too late. It couldn't be. I wasn't going to give up; not now, not ever. Ray, at the very least, had to know how I felt about him, and he had to know _now_. I had to clean up the mess that Jamie and I had made.

Of course, it wasn't going to be easy.

I fell asleep at about three in the morning. Five hours later, a rude Martha woke me up and tried to feed me a disgusting pile of goop that was supposedly oatmeal.

I told her pregnant women don't eat poison.

"Good morning, Harley," Alex smiled when I entered the examination room. "It looks like your shin is doing better."

"Yeah…I think Katie was right; it was just a bruise. A reeeeally nasty one," I told him, yawning.

"Katie? She broke her nose too, right?"

"Yup."

"Why on earth are so many people's noses getting broken?" Alex sighed. "Really, it's ridiculous. If only we could find the source of the problem…"

"Eh-heh. Yeah," I laughed nervously. Time for a subject change. "So…where's Gina?"

"She's watching soap opera reruns," Alex informed me. "She's extremely addicted to them. Early in the morning, she's no help at all. Honestly, I don't know how I get any work done."

"Soap operas?" I repeated.

"Indeed. She's tried to get Dia to watch them as well, but her taste is very different than Gina's," the doctor explained.

"What does Dia like?" I questioned.

"For some reason, she's gotten into watching horror movies. Personally, I think she's just looking for an excuse to scare Gina and Martha out of the room."

"Does it work?" I asked, mentally writing this valuable tip down.

"Let's put it this way; Gina refused to go out at night for a week because she thought some corn-obsessed madman was lurking in the streets. Another time, she thought Maria's library was really an alien base."

"Have to agree with her on that one," I grinned.

"At any rate," Alex cleared his throat, "you are free to go. You seem to be fine."

"Really? You don't have to do some check-up or something?"

"Harley, I'm a professional," the doctor reminded me. "I know what I'm doing."

"DOCTOR! Dia's escaped! Code red, code red!" Martha shrieked, running into the room.

"You know what to do!" Alex nodded. "Turn on the invisible fence!"

"Excuse me?" I interrupted. "What the fish is going on? Isn't Dia a patient?"

"Well, yes, but she is under orders not to leave the premises," Alex explained. "Sometimes she gets a little…rebellious, so we put a collar on her that, when activated, turns on an invisible fence."

"You mean like the kind they put on disobedient dogs?!"

"Basically."

"Isn't that harsh?" I gasped.

"We blew up a bunny, didn't we?" Alex shrugged. "This is nothing."

"All systems go!" Martha announced, hitting a big red Easy Button.

A loud shock was heard from outside.

"Curses!" Dia seethed as Gina dragged her in. "I was so close to freedom! Stupid fence…"

"Glad to have you back," Alex replied. "Martha prepared a meal for you in your room; you might want to eat it. Your stamina is low."

"NO! Not the nasty hospital food! Anything but that!" Dia hollered as she was pulled away to the Sanatorium. "NOOOO!"

Poor, poor Dia... I prayed with all my heart that I'd never have to stay in the Sanatorium. Not while these psychos were in charge of it, anyway.

"Uh…I'm just gonna go now…" I said as I began to make a run for the door. Unfortunately, someone was in the way.

"Move it!" I whispered insistently, pushing whoever it was blocking my path to freedom. "I need to escape! NOW!"

"Harley?"

I looked up to see Ray. Oops.

"Um…I-I—I'm sorry, I just—How are you?" I laughed nervously.

"I just finished taking care of the morning chores," he smiled. "Your shin looks better. I thought maybe you'd be up by now, and we could…talk. Or something."

"Yeah, sure! I'd love to!" I exclaimed. "But, uh, not here, okay? This clinic is…um, scary."

"You can be weird sometimes, you know that, Harley?" Ray said, raising his eyebrows. "Alright. Maybe we could go somewhere else? Maybe Carl's?"

"If Katie is working there, then no," I responded automatically. "What about my place? It's devoid of psychos as far as I know."

"Except for you," Ray teased.

"Hey!" I hit him playfully. "Be nice!"

"Okay, okay," Ray smiled. "Um…should we go now then?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "Alex might change his mind and not let me escape while I can."

"Excuse me? Alex might do _what_?"

"Long story. You don't really want to know," I sighed.

And with that, we started off to my house.


	19. Chapter 19: Lotsa Ranting and More Stuff

Note: NightimeRoseOX has very perceptive reading skills. Either that, or I'm becoming too predictable, lol. Speaking of perception, did anyone know that Code Red in a hospital actually refers to a fire? Haha, Alex and Martha aren't the smartest doctors, are they? Oh yeah, I married Dia in my guy-MM file today! Yes, I freed her from Alex and Martha's prison of medicine! Just kidding. XD

**Chapter Nineteen: Lotsa Ranting and More Stuff**

"This isn't my house," I said flatly upon arriving at the building. This was my land, yes, but that wasn't my house. It just couldn't be. I mean, since when did I have a second story?

"I took the liberty of hiring Woody to upgrade your house for you," Ray explained. "I remembered that you'd missed your last opportunity, so I thought I'd help. Did I…do something wrong?"

"No, not at all!" I exclaimed. "That was really sweet of you."

To my disappointment, Ray didn't blush at the compliment. Dang it. How come now that I wanted to flirt with him, he was acting all indifferent? This was worse than Jamie's straight-out insults and Maria's twisted cunning!

"Shall we go inside?" Ray asked finally, watching me wrestle with my inward thoughts.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, spaced out for a sec there," I laughed nervously. Fish it all, could I act any _more_ like an idiot?

Coming inside, we sat at my table, avoiding eye-contact.

"So…you want something to eat?" I asked, clearing my throat.

"Alright," he shrugged. "You don't have to, though."

"No, I want to," I insisted, going to my refrigerator. "I think I can whip up some Sashimi….I've got some Rainbow Trout I need to use before they go bad."

"…Heh," Ray chuckled to himself.

"What?" I demanded, slicing up the Sashimi. "What's so funny?"

"It's just…the last time you made Sashimi, you blew up in my face," he smiled.

I blushed. He remembered that?! Oh, fish, why did I have to be so short-tempered? Did that mean he remembered all those times I shouted at him and acted selfishly spiteful? That was gonna swing back to hurt me later…stupid karma.

"Well, today I'll try to act more civilized," I replied, putting the plate before him.

Ray smiled and took a bite…then his expression turned sour as he swallowed it.

"Was that… Rainbow Trout you used?" he sputtered, trying to regain a sense of taste in his mouth.

"I think so… Wasn't it?" My mind reeled back to what I had taken out of the refrigerator…I had opened it, Ray laughed, and then….Aw, fish it all!

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" I gasped. "That was a Dace! I totally wasn't thinking at all, I am so _so_ sorry! Do you want some water? Do you need me to do the Heimlich maneuver?! I can Heimlich!"

"Harley, calm down," he laughed. "It just didn't taste all that good, that's all. No need to Heimlich. I'm fine."

"Of-of course," I stammered. "I knew that." NOT.

"You're acting pretty jumpy today," Ray observed. "Do you want to sit down?"

"Yeah, actually," I agreed as I sat down. "I guess I'm just…stressed out."

"Well, you have a lot to do around here," Ray nodded. "When I took care of all those crops and animals, I couldn't imagine you doing that pregnant."

"Well, I've managed so far, haven't I?" I smiled. "I'm an independent, modern woman!"

"Is that what you are?" he grinned. "I always thought you were the cute farmgirl with pigtails and a big mouth."

"H-hey! You're just jealous," I retorted, sticking out my tongue.

"Of your maturity?" he teased.

"You know it!"

"Alright, you caught me," he laughed. "I'm jealous. Happy?"

"I guess so." I leaned back in my chair and bit my lip. This kind of conversation felt so…weird. Ray had always been so quiet before; he wouldn't have engaged in playful teasing like that with me when we were first married. He really had changed after all.

Had I changed, too?

"Hey, Harley," Ray said softly. "About our son…I've been thinking."

"Yeah?"

"Maybe I'd just get in the way," he admitted. "Look at me, Harley. I'm a wandering fisherman with no constant paycheck or roof over my head. I want our son to grow up to be someone special…someone that could be a good role model. I'd be a negative influence on him, I just know it."

"What are you saying?" I whispered, my heart in my throat.

"I think…I should leave Flower Bud. I've heard this place Mineral Town has good fishing, and—"

I'd heard enough.

"Good fishing?!" I shouted, standing up. "Is that all you can think about, Ray? Good fishing?!"

"Calm down—"

"I will not calm down!" I screamed. "You think you can get away with all that 'I'm a bad influence' junk? Now you listen right now, Mr. Ray Fish Fanatic! You are smart, funny, and incredibly kind, and if anyone would be a horrible parent, it's me!"

"But—"

"No buts!" I insisted, continuing my rant. "Our son can grow up to be the craziest person in this whole psychotic village, but it won't be because his father decided to leave him for good! It'll be because we tried our best to raise him, and somehow it wasn't good enough. You and I are a team, Ray. I don't want you to leave…no, I won't let you!"

"Harley…you can't stop me," Ray murmured. "This is what I believe has to be done."

"You're such a fishing idiot!" I yelled. "Don't you understand?! You're perfect just the way you are! You are the best, most sensitive guy I've ever met here in this town!"

"Yeah, right," Ray muttered, unconvinced.

"Stop acting emo!" I ordered. "Seriously, our son is _lucky_ to have you for a father. Dan gambles too much and cheats on his girlfriends, Louis doesn't even have the backbone to quit his insanely hard job, Carl talks like a girl and is crazy enough to hire Katie, Alex is secretly an evil mastermind intent on keeping his patients prisoner, Joe is a corn-obsessed loser who thinks he's a "true American," Kurt spends his time conspiring with Dia on ways to escape her fish-hole of a Sanatorium, Bob is abnormally muscular, Blue is depressingly silent, and Jamie is the absolute most annoying and wicked creature on the face of the planet!"

For a while, there was a long, stunned silence from Ray. Man, ranting felt so _good_! I should do it more often!

"…Wow," Ray whispered. "I—I had no idea. But—"

"But what?" I retorted.

"You forgot Basil."

"Who?"

"You know, that plant researcher who dates Nina. He's a hobo like me, only he leaves every winter," Ray explained.

"Ya see? Anyone crazy enough to date an airhead like Nina definitely deserves to be on the list of psychos previously mentioned," I smiled.

"….Do you…really believe what you just said?" he asked me softly.

"Ray, of course I do," I answered, taking his hands in my own. "And you want to know why?"

He simply shrugged, speechless.

I brought myself close to his ear and whispered, "Because I love you."

And then, I kissed him. It wasn't as passionate as our kiss on the beach, but it was gentler, and subtly beautiful. And besides, he wasn't the one kissing me; I was kissing _him_.

But he didn't break away. When I finally ended our kiss (reluctantly, I might add), his face had turned a soft pink, much to my satisfaction. Aha! He did care about me!

"You know…" he said finally, clearing his throat. "It's strange."

"Hm?"

"When we were first married, you never, never kissed me like that," he stammered. "And now, you're pregnant, and somehow, even though you're almost due, I feel…like I've never seen you look so beautiful."

"Well, I wasn't in love then," I sighed. "I…I was stubborn and selfish, Ray. I couldn't see past my own ego."

"…I never had much of an ego to look past," he admitted. "I guess I didn't love you before, either. I was just…so happy, you know? That someone cared enough about me to propose. I never felt then the way I feel about you now…no, I've never felt like this, ever."

"You know," I smiled, "we're still married."

"You're right," he laughed. "It doesn't feel like it, though, does it?"

"We've been fighting too long," I sighed. "I just…want to go to bed. It's exhausting just to think about."

Ray smiled.

"Yeah…let's go to bed," he agreed.

And just as I started to climb onto the bed, I froze.

"Argh!" I exclaimed, wincing.

"Something wrong?"

"No, of course not."

I started to climb up again, then screamed in sudden pain.

"Harley, are you all right?" Ray gasped, taking my hand.

"Kind of," I laughed nervously. "I think…I think I'm having contractions."

"Whaaa?"

"Ray…you won't believe this, but I'm…I'm gonna have the baby!"

"You what?!"

Oh, fish. This wasn't good at all.


	20. Chapter 20: Not the Best Time

Note: I am so insanely sorry! This story hasn't been updated in, like, a month. Feel free to pelt me with fish. (Ow...okay, I deserved that.) As far as this chapter goes, do you have _any_ idea how hard it is to write a scene from a woman's point of view while she's giving birth? It took me forever to do a decent job.

PS: My apologies if it's not quite accurate; I tried my best to make it realistic. Even after researching, I may have slipped up. I didn't expect to be writing this far into the story. (Sigh) …I wonder how this turned out.

**Chapter Twenty: Not the Best Time**

Now, don't get me wrong, having the baby right now felt as if it had been cliché-ishly inserted into some sort of bad soap opera written by a second-rate author. I mean, right after we made up? Cheesy!

But, ya know, you really can't control when it happens, so I can't complain too much.

"Maybe it's a false alarm," Ray insisted. "Should we go to the Clinic or something…?"

"Ha-ha-ha, NO!" I retorted. "You think the first thing I want my kid to see is Martha's ugly face?!"

"Harley, check your priorities. You—you're in labor, and I don't know how on earth I can help you!" Ray protested. "We need a professional!"

"A professional what? Torturer?" I laughed nervously. "I don't like the idea of being imprisoned by Alex's nurses of doom, Ray!"

"…Nurses of doom?"

"Yes! Nurses of doom!" I repeated. "Did you see what happened to Dia? I don't want to end up like Dia, Ray!"

"Okay, okay, well let's just---oh, this is ridiculous!" Ray exasperated, throwing his hands in the air. "You need a doctor, and that's that. You're going to the Clinic."

"You couldn't pay me to go there."

"…Why are you being so difficult?" Ray groaned. "What, do you want to give birth right here?"

"Well, I—owww!" I moaned, leaning against the frame of the bed. "Ray, help me!"

"What am _I_ supposed to do?"

"I don't know!" I shouted. "What, am I supposed to have all the answers?"

"Harley--!"

To our surprise, a knock sounded.

"Who on earth would come right now?" I complained. "Can't anyone give birth in peace anymore?"

Ray turned from me to the door in frustration, then muttered, "Oh, fish with it!" and opened the door. Standing before him were two people we unfortunately knew very well.

"Well, didn't you two get on the rebound fast?" Jamie quipped, clearly shocked to see Ray in my home. "You didn't waste any time at all."

"This is really not the best time," Ray tried to explain, sending me desperate glances. "Harley's kinda in a, um, _delicate_ position."

"Goodness, is she not decent?" Maria gasped, clinging to Jamie's side. "It seems you two did indeed make up after all."

"Well, that just ruined my day," Jamie sighed. "And here I was going to rub in the fact that I had a date for the Full Moon Festival and Harley didn't. Bummer."

"Slam the door on them and come help me!" I screamed.

"…She doesn't seem too cheerful," Maria commented.

"Well, you know, when you start having contractions, you won't be all that happy yourself," I retorted.

"You don't mean…" Jamie's blue eyes widened. "You mean it's time? She's finally gonna give birth to that child?"

"Give…birth?" Maria repeated, her face turning green.

"Well, she's just having contractions right now," Ray explained.

"What is she still doing here?" Jamie demanded. "Why isn't she at the Clinic? What kind of husband _are_ you?"

"You think you have the right to tell me how a husband should act?" Ray seethed. "After the way you've treated Harley, you think you can get away with saying something like that? I broke your nose once, Jamie, and I'll do it again!"

"Guys! Hello! A little help over here?" I reminded them. "We can save the nose-breaking for later! I—owwww, not another one!"

"When was the last contraction?" Jamie demanded.

"Huh?"

"I've birthed plenty of animals," Jamie informed us. "Depending on the frequency of the contractions, I can determine whether or not she'll be in active labor anytime soon. Now I repeat: when was the last contraction?"

"Um…maybe five minutes ago…?"

"Good. There's still time," Jamie nodded. "Ray, you take her right arm and I'll take her left. She might need some support on her way to the Clinic."

"The Clinic?!" I protested as they each took a side. "No! Anywhere but there, please! Do you know what they _do_ to their patients?! They use invisible fences, and they poison the food, and they blew up a _bunny_!"

"Quit whining," Jamie huffed. "You're heavy enough as it is. It would help if you actually put forth some effort."

"But I don't wanna go!" I moaned. "Fish it all, can't I just give birth at home?"

"No!" Jamie and Ray responded simultaneously.

And while Maria was hurling in a bush somewhere, the three of us entered the Clinic.

"Welcome to the Clinic!" Gina beamed. "Broken noses, please take a number and go to the first room on your left—oh, it's you three! How are you feeling, Harley?"

"Terrified," I admitted, trying to break free from Jamie and Ray's grip.

"It's time," Ray told the nurse solemnly.

"Baby time?!"

"Yup."

"Oooh, I bet you're excited, huh?" Gina squealed.

"You bet I'm not!" I replied, imitating her cheerful voice. "Now let me go before—"

"Ah, Harley." The doctor entered the room, his eyes fixed upon me. "I thought you'd be coming soon. I understand this is your first time giving birth?"

At this point, I was more afraid that it was going to be my _last_.

"Yes, this will be her firstborn," Ray reaffirmed.

"I understand," Alex nodded. "Well, that means we're looking forward to about thirteen hours of labor."

"Thirteen?!" I protested.

"Roughly," he shrugged. "Though it depends on the individual, really."

"Well this individual does _not_ want to go through thirteen hours of—owwww, stupid, stupid contractions!" I snapped. "This baby had better appreciate what I'm going through—thirteen hours?!"

"Some people take even longer," Gina added.

Everyone shot her a shut-up-you're-not-helping glare.

"Harley, come with me," Alex ordered, walking over to one of the beds. "Lie down and wait for Martha—this is more of her specialty than mine."

"Martha? Are you fishing kidding me?" I complained. "Isn't there anyone else?"

"Nope," everyone replied.

Dang it.

As if on cue, the chubby blue-haired midwife arrived by my side and cracked her knuckles expertly.

"Alright, dearie, relax. I have plenty of experience," she assured me. "Put on your hospital gown and we'll get down to business. Your water broke yet?"

"Well…no, not yet," I admitted.

"And what are all these people doing in the room?" she barked, turning on Alex, Jamie, Gina and Ray. "Back off, give the child some space! Goodness…"

"Um…Excuse me?" Ray began, clearing his throat. "I'm Harley's husband and all, so I was wondering if…"

"Clear out!" Martha ordered.

"But—"

"You heard me," she growled.

"Now just wait a sec!" I protested. "Ray can stay if he wants. I don't think it'll cause a problem, will it?"

"…Fine," Martha relented. "But don't get in my way, alright?"

Ray nodded meekly as everyone else exited the room.

I changed into the gown nervously, my fingers fumbling in the excitement. It was time. This baby that had kicked and hiccupped and slept within me these seasons was about to be born into the world—by me. I, Harley, was going to officially be a mother.

It was a terrifying and thrilling sensation all at the same time.

"Alright, you just lie on the bed, alright?" Martha smiled. "We're going to get through this."

"Will it really take thirteen hours?" Ray asked, dubious.

"Well, it is a first-time pregnancy we're talking about, so—"

"Holy fish!" I exclaimed, causing everyone to shut up and look at me.

"What, what?" both Ray and Martha insisted.

"My…water broke. Just now," I breathed in shock.

"Welcome to the 'transition phase,'" Martha chuckled. "Here's where things get interesting."

And as time went on, I began to realize just what "interesting" meant. The contractions continued, each one lasting longer and taxing more energy than the last. My breathing quickened, and suddenly my heart was pounding a mile a minute.

I don't know how much time passed. I really don't care anymore. All I know was how much pain shot through me in that tiny hospital bed, my only outlet being Ray's palm. My fingers dug into his skin desperately, but he never let go despite the pain. "It'll be okay," he whispered soothingly. "You've been through worse."

"How would you know?" I gasped, gripping his hand tighter. "Oh, fish it, fish it, _fish_ it!"

"What's wrong?"

"I need to—to push, I can't explain it, but—"

"It's time for delivery, then," Martha nodded. "I'm ready for it, Harley. Just push!"

And you bet I did. Screaming in frustration, my face turned red as I tried my hardest to end my misery.

"Just hold on," Ray insisted. "You can do this."

"No, I can't!" I protested, sweating from the effort. "I just want to die, I can't take this, it hurts too much—"

"Harley, you've never been the kind of person to give up," Ray reminded me. "And you're not going to die. You're going to push with all your might, and I'll be right here waiting for you to give birth to our baby boy. You can do this. I know you, Harley. And you don't give up."

"Keep going!" Martha encouraged me. "You're doing fine!"

And with a desperate yell, I threw the remnants of energy I had left into performing a successful delivery.

_I can do this, I can do this, I can do this, oh FISH this hurts, I can do this, I won't give up, I won't give up, I won't give up—_

"You're almost there!"

_Just a little more, a little more, it'll be all over, this doesn't hurt, this doesn't hurt, well yes it does, but I can do this, I can do this—OH FISH!_

"Waaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Shouts of joy and relief broke free from Ray and Martha, and I lay my head back on my pillow, exhausted.

"You did it, Harley!" I could hear Ray exclaiming. "You did it! We're parents! I'm--I'm a daddy, Harley! A daddy!"

But the noise and celebration that ensued eventually died down as I closed my eyes and fell into a well-deserved rest.


	21. Chapter 21: What's In A Name?

Note: Why does everyone think I gave up on this fic? Really, it would be absolutely horrible of me to leave you hanging after twenty chapters. I'm not that cruel. Anyway, you should all be happy because this is a really long chapter...but I'm still not altogether pleased with it. The reason chapter twenty was so long in coming before was because of the difficulty of writing its content. (YOU try writing that scene, people! Not easy.) But yes, I'm still active on this site. And I shall finish this fic if it kills me.

**Chapter Twenty-One: What's In A Name?**

White walls. The smell of rotting Tylenol. Itchy blankets. Gina squealing about something in the background.

I closed my eyes and opened them again with a sigh.

I wasn't home. I was in the Clinic. Wait just a fishing moment, the _Clinic_?!

Sitting up in alarm, I suddenly remembered what had gone on during the past dozen or so hours. Which was basically giving birth. Letting it all soak in, I let out a laugh of relief. I had _done_ it. I had survived pregnancy and delivery! And I'd done it in pigtails, too! Whoo!

But the question was, _where_ was my baby? I glanced about frantically, but there was no little boy to be found.

Instead, I noticed that I was surrounded by all sorts of cards and gifts. Bizarrely enough, some people in Flower Bud actually cared about my successful delivery. Funny, I'd thought they all had gone PETA on me by now.

"Good morning, sunshine."

I jumped, startled. I turned to see Ray sitting beside me. He was grinning from ear to ear, and I couldn't help but smile back. After all, we were parents! _Parents_!

"Did you get to see our baby yet?" I insisted eagerly. "Is he absolutely adorable?!"

"Oh, he's perfect," Ray sighed. "You know, he's got a fuzz of dark brown hair and his little hands are just so—so—"

"Little?"

"Yeah!" he nodded, beaming. "You really haven't seen him?"

"Nope, and it's entirely unfair," I pouted, crossing my arms. "I'm the one who carried him around all these months, who went through thirteen hours of delivery—"

"Actually, it was more like twelve," Ray corrected me.

"…You mean I proved the doctors wrong?" I gasped.

"Not exactly, thirteen was just a rough estimate—"

"Take that, Alex and Martha and Gina!" I cackled. "You're _wrong_! Something is right in this world after all! Hahahaha!"

Ray gave me a very disturbed look.

"Er…moving on…" I cleared my throat. "Where is our baby boy? Can I go see him?"

"He's right here!" We turned to see Gina holding my son in her arms, bouncing into the room excitedly. I practically melted as she placed him in my arms. I'd never felt such skin against my hands—such smooth, pale skin. He yawned a little bit, opening his mouth wide and stretching his chubby round hands. Then he relaxed and closed his eyes once again as he settled into my arms.

"He's our baby," I whispered, stroking the dark hair upon his head. "Ray…he's our little baby. I'm a mommy now…Do you hear that, little one? I'm your mommy."

The baby blinked his big blue eyes at me in response.

"He looks just like you," Ray murmured, putting his arm around me. I shook my head with a laugh.

"No, he's too cute to look like me," I grinned. "I think he resembles you more, Ray."

"Agree to disagree?"

"Fine."

I let out a sigh as I looked up towards Ray with a pained smile. "We're going to have to agree on a name, you know."

"I still stand by Char or Dace," Ray shrugged. "But…I don't know, maybe we could think of a better name, like--?"

"Ooh! Ooh! Pick Alex!" Gina exclaimed, intruding in on the conversation excitedly. "Alex is my favorite name!"

This was met with a blank stare from Ray and I.

"But Alex…is the doctor's name," I said slowly.

"So?" Gina replied. "It's still the bestest name ever!"

"…Bestest isn't a word, is it?" Ray inquired.

"Okay, then….why not name the baby Martha!" Gina squealed.

It took every ounce of willpower for me to refrain from strangling the girl.

"The baby is a boy," Ray tried to explain. "Martha is a girl's name."

"Are you being sexist?" Gina gasped.

"Er…" He turned to me helplessly, unable to respond.

I held my baby protectively.

"No son of mine is being named Martha. End of discussion," I growled.

"But—"

"When you are in labor for over ten hours, then you can name your baby whatever the fish you want! But I refuse to name him Martha! Or Alex!" I declared.

Ray put his hand on my shoulder tentatively. "Harley, calm down. You're over-reacting."

Letting out a long sigh, I leaned back onto my pillow and cuddled my son closer. "Ugh, I'm too tired to argue anymore. Any other ideas?"

Gina raised her hand. "Oooh, what about--?"

"No!" Ray and I shouted in unison.

The nurse crossed her arms in frustration.

"Okay, so I still like Jack, and you want Char or Dace…" I pondered aloud. "Maybe we could combine our own names and come up with something?"

"Rarley?" Ray suggested dubiously. "Hay? Harlay?"

"…That's even worse than Martha," I groaned.

"But Martha is a wonderful name," Gina insisted. Ray and I both shot her looks of annoyance.

"I think I hear Alex calling you," I spoke, looking towards the door. "It sounds important."

"I didn't hear anything," the nurse replied.

"What was it he said? It's something…personal?" I answered, looking at Ray imploringly. He blinked for a moment before catching onto my lie and nodding emphatically to a doubting Gina.

"Oh, well, I can't keep Alex waiting!" she chirped, starting towards the door. "I'll see you two later--!"

BAM. The door opened and crashed into an unsuspecting Gina's nose, no doubt breaking it.

"Owww!" she complained, her hands going to her face. "Someone broke my nose!"

"A lot of that has been going on lately," Ray remarked, giving me a disapproving look as I laughed.

"I can't let it stop me, though," Gina decided. "I'm coming, Alex!" And the nurse ran out once again.

The visitor whose entrance caused Gina's nose to break paused before approaching me. He adjusted his fedora and walked over to the bed and stood there uncertainly, unsure of what to do or say.

"Jamie?" I exclaimed. "What…are you doing here?"

"He's been here the whole time," Ray muttered. "He refused to leave until he knew you were okay."

"You make me sound like some sort of saint," Jamie remarked dryly. "I was just curious to see if you'd last childbirth—and if your child would look anything like you at all." His blue eyes rested on my baby for moment before flickering up to look at me again. "Well, you're lucky. He doesn't look anything like you."

"Why, you--!" I started before I was cut off by a stern look from Ray.

Jamie sat beside me and smirked a bit. "I suppose he's cute…in an annoying kind of way. A bit chubby like his mother, but it can't be helped. He'll thin out over time. Still, I don't think he was worth all this fuss."

"Fuss?" I repeated.

The farmer gestured to the numerous cards and gifts in the room.

"You already had a baby shower, so I don't understand why all these idiots are fawning over you like this," Jamie complained. "You'd think they'd never seen a baby before."

"Have you read any of the cards yet?" Ray asked me.

"I just woke up, you idiot," I laughed as I laid my now-sleeping baby beside me. "No, of course I haven't."

Jamie picked up an envelope and smirked as he read the heading.

"To Mrs. Ray, from your friends at Callaway Café," he read aloud as he doubled over laughing. "Your _friends_? That's rich!"

I snatched it from him hurriedly and opened it. "There's two letters inside," I remarked.

"Can I read one?" Ray asked.

"Sure," I smiled. He took one from me eagerly.

"This is Katie's," Ray exclaimed, mildly surprised.

Jamie grinned. "Excellent. Read it aloud," he ordered.

Ray did so.

"_Harley. Congratulations, I guess. Apparently even a complete idiot can give birth."_

Jamie continued laughing as I sat up indignantly.

"_At least I'll be seeing less of you around the café. You'll be wanting to lose the weight you've gained from your delivery. Ha!"_

"Oh no she didn't!" I gasped. "She did _not_ just call me fat!"

"Of course you're not fat, Harley," Ray insisted, looking up from the stationary. "You're beautiful."

"It's a rule of marriage that husbands have to lie, I suppose," Jamie muttered aloud. In response we both shot him dirty looks.

"_Anyway, I guess I should be nice to you or something, so Carl made me bake you some brownies. You'd better like them. Or else."_

"Or else what?" I challenged. "What a brat."

"_So enjoy motherhood, blah, blah, blah and all that jazz. From, Katie. PS: I almost forgot. JOE IS MINE, BACK-OFF YOU SLUT!!"_

Ray folded up the letter and cleared his throat nervously. "Well," he began, "that was…certainly…"

"Wonderful," Jamie finished for him, smiling. "Absolutely wonderful."

Gritting my teeth, I picked up the next letter and mumbled, "If Carl's card is anything like Katie's, then I don't want congratulatory letters ever again."

"Just read," Jamie barked.

"_Hey, Harley! Wow, you have a baby! That's so super wonderful! I hope you give him plenty of sweets!"_

"He wants your child to be obese?" Jamie asked, eyebrows raised.

"_And plenty of love, too! Yay for babies! They're sooooo cute!"_

"Carl's a guy, right?" Ray interrupted. "I don't know why, but I felt like someone should reestablish that."

"_But I made you some cheesecake because I'm sure all that childbirth has made you hungry! Happy parenting! Love, Carl!"_

"Did anyone else notice that every sentence ended in an exclamation point?" Jamie remarked.

"Wait, there's more," I insisted.

"_PS: Don't eat Katie's brownies if you value your life! Haha!"_

"…I don't know what's so funny about the fact that she wants to poison me," I said at length. "Jamie, could you throw out the brownies for me?"

"I'm not your servant," Jamie scoffed. "Ray, _you_ married her. Throw the brownies away."

"But--!"

"Do it!" Jamie snapped. And Ray did so.

"Do we really want to read the rest of them?" I begged. "These aren't very promising…"

"Well, some people gave you gifts," Ray shrugged. "Lyla sent you some jam."

"Aw, how sweet of her!" I smiled. "Where is it?"

"Why, it's right—here?" Ray picked up the jar in confusion. "I could have sworn I put it on that other counter…and it's empty now, too!"

"Huh, weird," Jamie muttered, wiping some traces of jam from his mouth hurriedly. "Wonder how that happened."

"…This is becoming a complete and total bust," I complained. "Is there anything decent here?"

"Ann sent you a coffee-maker she made herself—"

"Throw it out."

"There's some corn with a bow tied around it from—"

"Joe, I know," I interrupted. "Dump that, too."

"Apparently some Mia person sent you a rubber chicken?"

"Er…what am I supposed to do with that?" I asked, perplexed. "Throw it out."

"Isn't there anything you don't want us to throw away?" Ray protested.

"The cheesecake," I decided. "Everything else—toss it."

"You don't even know what they are—"

"Trash it all!"

"But Harley, you're being unreasonable—"

Jamie picked up an armful of junk sitting on the counter and threw it all into the trashcan impatiently.

"If she wants it tossed, toss it!" he growled. "I don't have enough time to hear you two argue all day."

"There's still one letter left," Ray noticed, picking up a slightly beaten envelope.

"I don't want to hear it," I spoke defiantly.

"It's from Dia, though," he pouted. "Come on, just one more letter?"

After being subjected to a few minutes of Ray's puppy-face, I groaned and agreed.

"_Harley. I am pleased your birth was successful. However, you must act quickly before it's too late. Enclosed in this letter is a lockpick. After you read this, eat this note. I wish you luck. Dia." _

"Did she really send me a lockpick?" I replied incredulously.

"Actually, yes," Ray exclaimed as he brought it out. "…Wow."

"Well, I don't know about you two idiots, but I refuse to eat that note," Jamie informed us.

"Agreed," Ray and I responded.

At that moment, my baby boy stirred in his sleep and moaned softly. I let out a little "aw!" as I patted his head fondly.

"Isn't he so cute?" I gushed.

"What's his name?" Jamie inquired. "You two must have thought of one by now."

"Er…funny story," I chuckled uncertainly. "You see, Ray and I were unsure of what to name him, and—"

"We just decided now," Ray finished.

"We _did_?" I exclaimed, blinking in surprise.

"Yeah," Ray nodded with a smile. "His name is Jack. It's a good farming name, don't you think?"

And as I stared at him in disbelief, I found that I could only whisper, "Thank you."


	22. Chapter 22: EPILOGUE

**Note**: This is it. The final chapter. (Kinda cliché in my opinion, but what crazy soap opera isn't?) Sorry it took me so long to post; my writing style has changed so much since writing this, I had trouble keeping it in sync with the others. And…I've been devoting my time into **DitT** and essays. (I still don't really like this chapter, but I've been pouring over it long enough, so...eh. Enjoy.)

**EPILOGUE**

Fall. Something about this season always sparks my memory. All the chaos that was my life seventeen years ago floods into my mind whenever I watch the leaves fall, leaving the trees stark and bare.

But I find that I can look back and laugh. Because when you're living in a future that's bright, why dwell on the ugliness of the past?

"Harley?"

I turned and smiled as my husband approached me, holding a freshly caught rainbow trout.

"You in the mood for Sashimi?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Kind of," he admitted with a grin. "Do you mind? I don't know if it'll be enough for all five of us--"

"Three," I corrected him.

"Three?"

I laughed. "Yeah, three of us. You know what today is, right?"

"…Uh, should I know?" he blinked uncertainly.

"The Full Moon Festival, you idiot!" I reminded him. "Jack won't be here."

"Oh? Does he have a date?" Ray asked eagerly. "Any idea who it is?"

"No fishing clue. As a matter of fact, I don't know who asked Dacey, either," I told him.

"My little Dacey?" Ray pouted. "B-but she's too young to go—"

"She's fifteen, Ray. By all means, she's old enough to have a date with a guy," I interrupted. "Anyway, I wonder who asked her…do you think Tim maybe…?"

"MOM!" We both turned to see a furious brunette on the stairs, her hair done up in a side ponytail and her blue eyes glaring to the brim with teen angst. "For the last time, I don't like Tim! He's so—ore-obsessed. It's freakish."

"Dacey, your mother tells me that a boy asked you to the Full Moon Festival," Ray began with a frown. "I think you're too young to—"

"I'm always too young, Dad!" Dacey complained. "Can't anyone have a little fun around here? Fishing, farming, mining—it's all so boring! The festivals are the only fun we get to have, and you won't even let me go to any of the good ones!"

"Geez, get over yourself, you little drama queen," I said as I rolled my eyes. "You can go, alright? Chill."

I was rewarded with a hug and an "I love you, Mom" as my husband watched in disgust.

"…So we only get hugged if we do what they want?" Ray muttered.

"Basically."

A knock at the door stopped me from responding. Suddenly my daughter was lunging for the door, only to be held back by a pair of strong teenage arms.

"Jack, lemme go!" Dacey complained. "It's for me!"

"Shut up, Dacey. Unlike you, I actually have a date coming tonight and I want to answer the door for her. So if you don't mind—"

My firstborn pushed her aside and opened the door. Waiting on the doorstep was a young woman dressed in a conservative purple gown that complemented her violet tresses perfectly.

"Sup, Jack?" she asked in a deep, melodious voice.

"Uh, Jane Marie, these are my parents," Jack introduced us lamely.

She stared at us blankly. We stared right back, my mouth and Ray's hanging open in shock.

"So…this is what your family is like, Jack. Huh." She adjusted the fedora on her head and smirked. "Well, I guess some fruit _does_ fall far from the tree."

The hair, the fedora, the insult: there was no doubt.

"Holy fish," I gasped. "You—you're dating--!"

"Mom!" Jack growled warningly. "Family feuds are _so_ overrated. Just deal."

"But she's one of _them_!" I protested. "She's Jamie and Maria's—"

"With all due respect," Jane interrupted me, "I know very well your opinion of my parents and their opinion of you. Quite frankly, after all I've heard about a nutcase like yourself, I too am loathe to date one of your kind. But I am willing to look past our differences to date Jack. If I, a sixteen year old girl, can understand that, then why can't an adult like yourself? End of discussion. Good day."

She promptly turned on her high heels and called out, "Jack, we're leaving."

"Oh, no you're not!" I growled. "Jack, you stay right here!"

"JACK! Get your butt out of this house or I will personally rip you apart like the momma's boy you are!" Jane shouted from outside.

He turned to us and grinned. "Is she awesome or what?"

"…Or what," Ray and I spoke simultaneously.

"Don't you dare go with her," I warned as Jack started to go outside. "I am your mother, and I forbid it--!"

The door slammed.

"Harley, it's fine. Maybe it'll be good for us to spend more time with Jamie's family," Ray suggested.

"I don't want my grandchildren to have Jamie as their grandpa!" I complained. "And he'd be my brother-in-law! Ewwwww."

"Don't forget Maria," Ray added.

"Not helping, Ray."

Dacey, who had remained silent by some miracle all this time, finally spoke up.

"If you guys flip out over my date, then I am _so_ not gonna talk to you ever again," she threatened.

"Wow, what a punishment," I remarked dryly. "Whatever will we do with peace and quiet, Ray?"

"MOM! You are not funny, okay?" Dacey told me.

There was a knock on the door.

Ray and I both held our breath, praying that her date wasn't some psycho. Dacey squealed in delight and rushed over to the door, fixing her hair hurriedly before opening it.

"…Yo."

Both of us stared at the visitor in shock. Dacey's date was wearing what apparently was "emo-punk" styled clothing, and his shock of jet black hair fell into his eyes. Overall, he was a pretty depressing figure.

"Mom, Dad, you both know Kurtis, right?" Dacey insisted.

Unfortunately, we _did_ know him. Dia and Kurt's rebellious son, Kurtis, was constantly the topic of the village's gossip.

"Hey, Kurtis," I began with fake enthusiasm. "How's your mom doing?"

"…My parental units are fine," Kurtis replied.

Ray leaned over to me and whispered, "Is he wearing a nose-ring?"

"Maybe it works as a lock-pick," I whispered back.

"You look handsome tonight, Kurtis," Dacey giggled, twirling a strand of her hair shyly.

"Do I?" Kurtis replied nonchalantly.

My love-struck daughter shot Ray and I a "leave-us-alone-you-nosy-parents!" look, and that told me more than ever that I should stay put.

"Kurtis," Ray began with a low growl, "you know that if you and Dacey do anything beyond a kiss, you will have to deal with the most terrifying thing alive."

"You?" Kurtis replied dubiously.

"No. Harley in a rage."

That visual had more of an impact on the teen, and his blank look faltered for a moment at the mental image of me smacking him on the head with a hammer.

"…Point taken," he nodded, taking Dacey by the arm and starting for the door.

"Don't forget your curfew!" Ray shouted as they left.

"Tie a leash on me, why don't you?!" Dacey screamed back as she slammed the door.

"The only thing this soap-opera needs is popcorn," I suggested, amused by my hormone-driven daughter. "Geez, was I like that when I was her age?"

"Like mother like daughter," Ray muttered darkly.

I shoved him playfully. "How would you know? You didn't even know me back then."

"And for that, I will be forever thankful."

"Hey! Be nice!"

He laughed and put his arm around me. "I'm kidding, Harley! But you know, now that it's just the two of us—"

"Three."

"Three?"

"Yes, Ray. Three."

As if on cue, a little boy entered the room, dressed in his pajamas and yawning. His big blue eyes looked up at us inquisitively, and he murmured, "Mommy? Daddy? Beddabye time?"

"Aww, he's wearing the fishy pajamas!" I squealed, running over and giving the kid a huge hug. "No, Charles. Not beddabye time. We have dinner first."

"Dinny-din?" the boy insisted.

"Yes, dinny-din."

Ray blinked. "Oh…I forgot he wasn't in bed yet. Come over here, Char, and give your daddy a hug!"

"Too late," I told him, cuddling Charles tightly. "I claim first dibs on snuggle time."

"Why?"

"Because I gave birth to him, idiot."

Charles giggled as I began to tickle him unmercifully. "Mommy!" he protested, laughing. "Stop!"

"What's that? You want more?" I teased him, grinning from ear to ear.

"Stop!" Char giggled again. "Mommy!"

"Tell you what," I suggested, a gleam in my eyes. "I'll stop. Just promise you won't date any psychos when you're older. Especially children of adult psychos. Like Katie's kid or Alex's. Okay?"

"Pwomise," he nodded, no doubt uncomprehending everything I'd said.

Ray shook his head. "Harley, don't put your hopes too high. He's our kid, after all."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I retorted. "That we're all doomed to love psychos?"

My husband smiled, and his smile soon broke into laughter. His unsaid answer hung in the air, and I let go of Charles as I stood up and put my hands on my hips.

"Just so you know," I reminded him, "between the two of us, you're the psycho."

"I don't know, Harley. You're pretty darn close."

"…You're lucky I married you," I smiled, unable to combat his statement.

"I'm the lucky one," Ray grinned, holding me close as he brought his lips near mine.

"EW! Lovey-dovey! EWW!" Charles screamed, interrupting our moment. And with a wry grin, we pulled apart from each other and started towards the kitchen.

"What are we having for dinner again?" I asked.

"Fish, Harley. Fish."

Sometimes love does funny things. It pulls on your rod, and you wind up with a boot or two. But, when life gives you boots, go for a walk! Because, at times, the worst mistake you've ever made can wind up the best choice of a lifetime. You just have to be patient, hold on to your rod, and hope for the best. Who knows what you'll catch!

_The End_

* * *

It's…done. Finally, it's done. Cliché and not worth the time it took, but done. And there's no planned sequel. If I did do anything, it'd probably be about Jamie and Maria. But I don't think I'd have time to write it.

Thanks to all who read, favourited, reviewed, or critiqued. The Stats page is staggering. Really.

And **Neco-Arc**: Thank you for inspiring this story, and introducing me to this site. This story is dedicated to you.

Once again, thanks for reading.

--Scarlet


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